UMC issued the following statement.
In the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 18, 2019, University of Mississippi Medical Center Campus Police Officers arrested Jaylion Jim, 26, on charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct. It was the second time within an hour UPD had been called to an on-campus incident involving Jim.
UPD Officers Taaffe McGruder and Justin Harper escorted Jim in a police cruiser to the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond, per normal department practice. However, detention center personnel refused to accept Jim on the basis that they were only taking suspects charged with felonies, DUIs and domestic violence.
In the original arrest report filed later that day, Officer McGruder stated that after the detention center personnel’s refusal to accept Jim, he was then informed he was no longer under arrest. The report stated Jim insisted that he wanted to be released and that the officers complied with his request, dropping him off near the downtown Jackson detention center on Pascagoula St.
On Friday, June 19, UMMC Campus Police administration was informed that Jim was struck by a vehicle
on Highway 18 and killed on Tuesday, June 18.
Officers McGruder and Harper were briefed on June 21 about the details of Jim’s death. The officers amended their original report to state they had dropped Jim off at a then-closed convenience store near the corner of Highway 18 and Thousand Oaks Dr. after leaving the Hinds County Detention Center and that Jim had insisted on being immediately released at that location.
While this case remains under investigation, Officers McGruder and Harper have been suspended.
Kingfish: Boneheads.
Sheriff Mason told WAPT that the detention center couldn't accept Jim due to the federal consent decree. Hmmm...... the monitor has criticized the use of detention center facilities for incarcerating misdemeanor fines.
So does that mean law enforcement has no where to place someone who is intoxicated or clearly a physical threat to himself or others while under the influence of substances?
31 comments:
You mean... The Police... Lied?!
UMMC officers are thugs. I've had very sick family members in recent years and the UMMC officers were always mean.
IMC officers have a history of being dumb hotheads. They get zero respect from me.
So he was drunk and walked into street and got hit? I am confused why this is anybody’s fault other than his own?
Hinds County SO did the right thing. We don't have resources to house people not accused of a crime. I mean a DUI is one thing, but a guy who is guilty of hanging around in a parking lot while drunk or crazy does not need to be detained at taxpayer expense.
The error was letting the guy out where they did. Take him HOME. If he has no home, take him to a shelter or Whitfield. If they won't take him, turn him loose in a park. But nowhere on the protocol list is "drop him off on a 4 lane highway close to nothing".
The fact that he demanded to be turned loose immediately has nothing to do with it if he was clearly not in his right mind. UMC officers botched this one.
Those two geniuses should have taken him home after there was no room in the graybar hotel.
This post has 100 comments written all over it, too much for so many to comment on.
The real question is how could June 18 have been a Tuesday and June 19 been a Friday?
"On Friday, June 19, UMMC Campus Police administration was informed that Jim was struck by a vehicle
on Highway 18 and killed on Tuesday, June 18."
Literally nobody goes to the police academy in hopes of becoming a campus cop. Do the math.
I'm curious about Sheriff Mason's position about "the use of detention center facilities for incarcerating misdemeanor fines." Housing prisoners in the county jail for failing to pay a fine imposed as a sentence on a misdemeanor conviction is very different from processing someone into the county jail who has been arrested for a misdemeanor. A fine is not imposed unless/until there is a conviction.
Is it now Hinds County's position that the only misdemeanors worthy of arrest are DUI and domestic violence? If so, I highly doubt that has anything to do with a federal consent decree.
Note: The McComb City Counsel recently attempted something similar, which included bench warrants for failure to appear in court. (I don't know the current status of that initiative). Apparently, there is some sort of movement afoot.
That he demanded to be let out and released on the highway is no doubt a damned lie. But, in concert, their story will not change.
"So he was drunk and walked into street and got hit? I am confused why this is anybody’s fault other than his own?"
If this story is true, which it's probably not, the 'officers' were negligent in allowing a drunk to exit their vehicle on a busy four to six lane roadway.
I hope that helps with your confusion.
When I worked security at the Baptist the objective was to get trespassers off of property. The extent of that was the other side of State Street.
Is Walgreen's loss prevention entry exam really that hard?
11:55 AM - Mason is dumber than a box of rocks. 'nuf said.
12.16 In retrospect the security guard could have taken him home and didn't handle the situation properly but the point is don't get drunk and hope some stranger is going to make sure you don't walk into the street and get killed. Viewing this thread I am afraid we are losing all sense of personnel responsibility.
11:56 I don’t believe he was accused of anything, felony or misdemeanor. Can a UMC cop even carry a gun?
3:29, it's in the first sentence of the article: "In the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 18, 2019, University of Mississippi Medical Center Campus Police Officers arrested Jaylion Jim, 26, on charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct."
5:06, then why did they let him go? The "arrest" was simply an excuse to get him off the property and they wanted to go dump him far from the hospital. At worst, he deserved a ticket and a call to his mom.
Sounds like he was un-arrested at some point. If no charges were filed, shouldn’t he be returned to where he was picked up? Or to his home? They just relocated the guy to a remote spot on a state highway.
These officers are history. They will never be credible witnesses in court, as the defense will question them regarding prior lying everytime they take the stand.
They drew first blood
I don’t know the campus policy in these matters, but it would seem that it would’ve been wiser to call JPD. Either that, or escort him to the sidewalk.
For the good samaritans driving the deceased home would’ve likely cost you your job. Given the current outcome that’s not necessarily the worst case scenario.
Hey, 10:58am,there is not a shelter in the Jackson, MS metro area that takes in people in the middle of the night. Homeless people need to be there before 5:00pm. They also do not take people who are impaired by alcohol or drugs. As for Whitfield, (I assume you mean Mississippi State Hospital. Whitfield is a town,not a facility.) Mississippi State Hospital does not take "drop ins." A court order from Chancery Court is required. The Chancery Court is only open Mon-Fri'8-5. I am not sure why a Detention Center gets to pick and choose which people they can take.
@ June 28, 2019 at 3:29 PM
"I don’t believe he was accused of anything, felony or misdemeanor. Can a UMC cop even carry a gun?"
Yes. They are sworn, certified LEOs just like any other LEO. At least on paper.
On hindsight, they should have strapped him to a gurney in the ER and released him in the morning.
@8:17, how naive you are. Cops are caught lying all the time and still find employment. They may be suspended with pay for a weekend or two, but doubt they even get that “punishment.” There is simply no accountability for police and they know it.
1:22am, you cannot strap someone to a gurney and hold him. He would have to consent to treatment.
People are so quick to blame the police and not require the drunk individual to take responsibility for his action. I am sorry he died, but he was the one who drank too much. He was the one that was out of control at UMMC.
I have the utmost respect for all law enforcement officials. They have a difficult job. They risk their lives to keep us safe.
@3:42, who do you think is responsible for creating the false police report?
As a State Law Enforcement Agency, they could have taken him to Rankin County or Madison County. Once this man was in their custody (especially for Public Drunk)he began their responsibility! They are clearly negligent! Its just like when a Highway Patrolman Arrests someone, they can take them to the Nearest County Jail.
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