UPDATE: Alex City Cop Given Slap on Wrist

According to the Talladega Daily Home former Alex City police officer Mitchell Ray has been sentenced to 9 months, split, with 30 days in jail for assaulting a race fan, who he had in handcuffs, so badly that the guy had to be airlifted to UAB. Here is the original story and blog entry.

Hollingsworth sentenced former police officer Mitchell Ray, 36, to nine months, split, 30 days in jail and two years probation, for assault in the third degree. Ray was indicted for felony assault against a race fan while working as a security guard, but was convicted by a jury of the lesser included offense.

How come cops can commit felony assault and attempted murder and get a mere slap on the wrist? I am so sick of this double standard. I am also sick of having to find out news about my local police force from a newspaper that is two counties over. Would be nice if the Alex City Outlook would cover LOCAL NEWS.

Alex City Police Department has no written Disciplinary Policy

All day I have been trying to lay hands on an Alexander City Police Dept. personnel policy handbook. The Mayor's office said to call the police chief.

I just spoke with Alexander City Police Chief Rafford and he said a handbook is available from the Human Resources Dept of the ACPD. He also said there is no written policy on discipline...that they kind of do it as they go along...so there is nothing for the public to see as far as disciplinary policy goes.

I asked if they have just a rule of thumb guide and he said no...they make it up as they go along.....depending on what the infraction is. I guess felony assault 1 & 2 aren't considered that serious of an infraction, huh? He did say that some other departments have a set disciplinary code...but that this one does not. I find it very odd that there aren't even any guidelines for disciplinary procedures for the police department in my town.Very odd indeed.

I mean, aside from common sense (which seem to be lacking in this particular profession in many cases) how do cops know what is breaking a rule and what isn't if there are no rules for them to go by? Is there no written code of conduct? Obviously, beating a handcuffed suspect nearly to death would be against the rules...but if there are no rules....

If they don't have any rules then I guess in their minds they can't break any rules.

I think they need some rules. A really long list of rules. And they need to be written down. How would one go about making that happen? Should I petition the City Council? If anyone knows please respond in the comments section of this post.





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Update on Local Police Brutality

The first story in the paper said....

Although being charged and indicted on the charges, Ray remains on active duty with the police department.

"We have nothing to indicate that he wouldn't continue to work," Alexander City Police Department's James Claybrook said. "He hasn't been convicted yet."

Now they are saying...

UPDATE:



Update: Police officer on leave after indictment

By Miranda Mattheis

Alexander City police officials confirmed Thursday that an officer (Mitchell Ray), indicted this week by a Talladega Grand Jury for assault, has been placed on administrative leave and has been on leave for the past two days.

That's called CYA mode and I don't blelieve it. I believe they only put him on leave today after some 'public outcry'. Bump administrative leave...fire his ass! I'm thinking of organizing a protest in front of the police station. Is his administrative leave a paid one or no?

He has been indicted for brutalizing a man whose hands were cuffed behind his back. What a pussy!

Here is something else to contemplate. This happened in October of 2007...yet not a word was uttered in the local paper until the indictment was handed down. I searched the archives only two relevant stories came up and both of them are from today.

Was this deliberately kept from the taxpayers of Alexander City? Did the Outlook not find it important enough to mention that one of our officers brutalized a handcuffed suspect so badly that he had to be airlifted to UAB? To me...that is pretty big news. I want to know why the good people of this city are just now being informed of this whole incident?

Regular citizens who engage in such conduct have their names printed in the paper almost immediately...and drug suspects even faster than that...yet this guy gets to keep a low profile for some six months...because....why?





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