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.

So, I called the Mayor's Office

Last week the Alex City Outlook ran a story about Alexander City Police Officer Mitchell Ray and his alleged brutalizing of a handcuffed suspect at the Talladega SuperSpeedway on October 7, 2007. I covered it HERE.

There is something odd about this whole thing that no one is addressing. First, the local paper did not report on this incident until the indictment came down some six months later. As a taxpaying citizen of Tallapoosa Co. I find that very disturbing. Isn't it the paper's duty to inform the public about things of this nature?

I wrote Kevin Taylor the editor of the Outlook and asked him the following questions last week when this story first came to light....

Hi Kevin,

About the local officer indicted on police brutality charges...this happened in October of 2007...yet not a word was uttered in the Outlook 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?

Just curious,

To date I have not received an answer to those questions.

I also wanted to look at the Alexander City Police Departments personnel policy.

This Mitchell Ray cat, who allegedly beat a handcuffed race fan so badly that he had to be airlifted to UAB, remained employed on the ACPD force for six months after that incident occurred. I mean...our tax dollars pay that cops salary...didn't the citizens have a right to know and the paper a duty to inform? I want to know what the policy is regarding officer misconduct and when said misconduct automatically triggers leave...paid or otherwise. If this officer had been caught with drugs what would his punishment have been? If he had been accused of something more sinister like child molestation would he have been allowed to remain on the force for six months? Why does a brutality charge where the victim had to be airlifted to UAB not automatically trigger leave? Or does it?

I was instructed to call the Mayor's office and ask how to obtain a copy. The secretary told me I would have to call the chief of police. So, I called the chief. Their suspicions were immediately raised when I asked for a copy of their personnel policy. They put me on hold. A few minutes later a lady came back on the line and asked for my name. They don't need my name...just to tell me where to get a copy of the personnel policy of the local police department. But, since they already suspect something is up I told them my name. Placed on hold again. The lady comes back a few minutes later and says I will have to talk to the chief of police and he is on the other line.

I'll call him back in a few minutes and see what he says.

I believe that police department personnel policy should be public information that is readily available. There should be no run-around, no stalling, no investigating me because I am asking. Just hand me the damn personnel policy, Ok? I better have one in hand by the end of the day.

Stay tuned...




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Local Police Brutality

Alexander City police officer indicted

By Miranda Mattheis

A Talladega County Grand Jury has indicted an Alexander City Police officer involving an incident last October.

Alexander City police officer Mitchell Ray is accused of assaulting a Georgia man while working security at the Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 7. 2007.

"He's indicted for assault in the first degree and assault in the second degree," said District Attorney Steve Giddens.

According to Giddens, the victim suffered injuries to his head, back, chest and one arm.

"The victim suffered some pretty bad injuries," Giddens said. "He was cuffed with his hands behind his back when he was kicked and hit by the police officer."

Giddens said the police officer used a collapsible baton to hit the victim.

The victim was airlifted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital where he was treated for injuries.

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."

Giddens told the Daily Home he did not know when Ray might be arraigned.

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.

WHAT??? This jackass beat a handcuffed man with a billy club and kicked him causing major injuries and yet the local ass wipes say "We have nothing to indicate that he wouldn't continue to work."

HOW ABOUT THE CHARGES AGAINST HIM? An indictment for police brutality isn't enough to indicate that maybe he needs to find a new line of work? Are they going to wait til he kills someone? Would that be enough? Having sat through many trials in my nearly 5 years of legal wrangling with these idiots I know that regular folks (not punk mother fuckers with badges, guns and the government sanction to be a THUG) who are brought up on charges of assault generally lose their jobs and sit in jail til trial. Why should this asshole, whose job is to protect and serve the public, get treated with kid gloves for violating that standard? I say he needs to be punished with twice the penalty that regular folks would face.

I am so sick of the double standard that cops get in the criminal justice system vs. what the regular folks get.

I've just sent the following LTE to the Outlook. We'll see if they care what citizens think about this issue.

Dear Editor,

In response to 'City Police Officer Indicted' (03/13) I almost fell out of my chair when I read the following revelation and words from Officer James Claybrook.
"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."

WHAT??? This officer beat a handcuffed man with a billy club and kicked him causing major injuries and yet the local mouthpiece says "We have nothing to indicate that he wouldn't continue to work. He hasn't been convicted yet."

My, my it must be nice to have the police touting your innocence until proven guilty. It's a shame they cannot apply that American principal to regular, non-uniform wearing, citizens. Also, the man Officer Ray is accused of brutalizing got no such consideration of innocent until proven guilty. Why should Ray and his supporters expect that such a consideration should be applied to this case? You know...'do unto others' and all that?

As for 'nothing to indicate he wouldn't continue to work'...how about the charges against him? An indictment for police brutality isn't enough to indicate that maybe he needs to find a new line of work? Are they going to wait until Officer Mitchell Ray kills someone? Would that be enough to get him off the force?

Why should this Officer, whose job is to protect and serve the public, get treated with kid gloves for violating that standard? I say he needs to be punished with twice the penalty that regular folks would face.

I am so sick of the double standard that cops get in the criminal justice system vs. what the regular folks get. Officer Mitchell Ray should be removed from the police force immediately! As a Tallapoosa Co. taxpayer and resident of Alexander City I demand better for my money and my fellow taxpayers deserve better as well. We do not pay the salaries of officers so that they can brutalize handcuffed suspects.

FIRE MITCHELL RAY!

Respectfully Submitted for Publication,
Loretta Nall







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