Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey hit back at the New York Times and Mississippi Today after their reporters said they were not done investigating his office.
The two publications reported last week jailers and trustees assaulted inmates. The story opened:
Guards dragged inmates into blind corners, where cameras couldn’t capture acts of violence. They beat people behind closed doors. And they encouraged favored inmates to join in on the brutality.
Former inmates and guards said the violence at the Rankin County jail created a culture of fear and was widely accepted by officials as a way of keeping order, an investigation by Mississippi Today and The New York Times has found.
Reporter Brian Howey informed Sheriff Bailey his team would publish a follow-up story on the Rankin County Detention Center.
Notice how the reporter said he needed a comment within four hours. The Sheriff's attorney, Jason Dare, minced no words in answering the intrepid journalist:
Please release the unaltered videos and this article exactly as you propose, as this perfectly epitomizes the problems with news media. Even though one video shows Larry singing happy birthday to “Barry”, as you say “an apparent reference to Undersheriff Vaughn,” and the other shows Larry telling Barry that he is getting out of jail and he loves him, you try to convince readers that the videos are instead “depicting Rankin County Sheriff's Department employees mocking former inmate Larry Buckhalter.” In other words, you say don’t believe common sense, believe our opinions because we’re with the news.
This is why the prior response to you, which is attached and which you refused to use in full, takes issue with you not talking to people with first-hand knowledge of facts. Larry undoubtedly had an issue with crack cocaine, but he was never found to be mentally incompetent by a court or health care professional – just you. Larry celebrated countless birthdays and life achievements at the Rankin County Jail. He never went hungry and was never brutalized, both of which he claimed were regular occurrences in the free world. Although Larry could not give his side of the story for your article, these videos perfectly show his genuine affection for the RCSD. The fact you try to spin it as mockery is shameful.
Mr. Dare released the videos mentioned to the media.
18 comments:
Rather than vindicate the Sheriff’s office’s deplorable actions, Mr. Dare implicates the corrupt Mississippi courts that found a “common sense” obviously mentally handicapped person fit to stand trial and receive punishment. He needed housing the while mfing time, not incarceration. I love Mississippi, but GD.
Just a matter of time before Bailey’s butt is in the slammer.
And let's hope Jason Dare goes with him! He is happily taking blood money.
Mississippi Today wants its readers to dwell on Mississippi 1960s. In fact, to end its misleading name- call it Mississippi 1960s.
The saddest part is that the LEOs involved truly believe that they are on the right side of this. They believe that how they are treating that inmate, and all other inmates, is both justified and humane.
Mississippi hasn't moved much past the 1960s buddy boy. You need to get out of the velvet ditch more often.
Sooo…employees at the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department love this inmate so much, we put him in an apparent shock vest, and shock the piss out of him!!! And video this!!!! And I did not think Sheriff Bryan Bailey and his deputies could not get any lower than has been proven, then they go lower. One question, how do you sleep at night?
Jailer Amanda Thompson is the one who told the mentally challenged Larry to "give" permission. They were treating Larry like an ignorant puppet.
Barry Vaughn the Jail Administrator, must feel so much pride over the validation he sought so hard to obtain from his co-worker, trustees, and inmates.
Since the Sheriff. Kristi Pennington and Barry Vaughn worked so hard on that jail ministry they should read Galatians 6:7. "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." pick up your bible Sheriff. Vengeance is mine says the Lord.
That whole department is a disgrace.
The York slimes needs to just FO.
Most likely this will be the sheriff last term
Put some money where you mouth is. Most likely you won't.
Is this undermining Bryan Bailey's plan to step down before the next election, so that his anointed successor, Barry Vaughn, can take over and then run as an incumbent?
These people apparently have zero self-awareness. They just cloak themselves in Bible studies and prayer breakfasts, and then keep on with the same crap.
As for Jason Dare, he sounds like a MAGA politician's press secretary, rather than an attorney.
Rankin County can’t afford him or the attorneys
Clay FAFO Edwards loves the sheriff. Why?
Does Mr. Dare practice in federal court? asking for a friend.
Video evidence of Rankin County Jail employees torturing an inmate!!!! Why is the Rankin County District Attorney’s office not prosecuting the Rankin County Jail employees who committed this crime? Unbelievable what hold Sheriff Bryan Bailey has on this county. Will not one decent human being in this department, there has to be at least one, speak up and stop this insanity?
Anything with the race-battery Jerry Mitchell’s name on it is usually propaganda. That dude has made a career over keeping people divided.
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