Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba's staff tried to manhandle the media Tuesday after City Attorney Tori Martin stormed out of the City Council meeting.
Ms. Martin had hurriedly left the Council chambers in a somewhat emotional state after arguing with Councilman Vernon Hartley. WAPT's Ross Adams led some members of the media in following her out of City Hall as she exited the building.
However, Lumumba Chief of Staff Dr. Safiya Omari and a security guard cornered Mr. Adams by the doors, stopped him from leaving, and tried to grab his cellphone. Watch the video.
There is no excuse for this behavior. Period. The Kingfish has witnessed a few emotional moments at such meetings over the years. Yours truly probably would not have followed Ms. Martin out of the room. However, it is completely understandable why the media might have done so.
Of course, this is Dr. Omari who never owes an apology for anything. She tried to keep the intrepid WAPT reporter from leaving the building. Mr. Adams would have been within his rights to shove his way through her and out the door. It might be City Hall but the Mayor's staff doesn't have the right to detain the media or anyone else from leaving the building. That is the police's job.
Of course, this outrageous behavior is par for the course with this bunch. An employee can get on social media and accuse Megan West and Matt Allen of faking their Halloween carjacking. The Mayor can't get his way so he accuses Kenneth Stokes and Ashby Foote of taking bribes, without any proof of course. Mr. Stokes owes the Chief of Staff an apology for cursing her but Dr. Omari instigated the exchange by yelling at him and ignoring the Council President's efforts to tone down the um, discussion. The staff's latest tactic is to call media outlets and complain about reporters whose coverage is not to their liking, right?
The Mayor owes an apology to WAPT for his staff's behavior and that my friends, is the bottom line.
58 comments:
KF is a drama queen. He/she gets off on it. This type of content makes his booty moist.
Pretty generous definition of manhandling, my man
Dr. Omari is truly an idiot!!! She has no clue what she is… she is a public servant! If she doesn’t want to be a public servant tell her to go earn a real paycheck and stop living off of us. Same with lame duck Lumumba
They are so mad their little scheme isnt going to work with the trash contract. With a contract worth that much money you can guarantee they are getting a kick back.
2:58 - Is that you, Mayor?
Why is the mayor soooo Drs Petri give the multimillion contract to Richard? Blackmail? Bribes? Where’s Shad?
@2:58 PM is one of the boy mayor's shills.
Given this behavior, I wouldn't be surprised if the mayor's staff was smoking dat dope with him.
TYPICAL ! They have run the city in the ground and there is no coming back. Now its just fun to watch it sink out of site.
We all knew the administration was grossly incompetent, but now it is on public display to do away with any lingering doubt that may have existed. How are we ever going to fix crime, roads, pipes, and schools when the mayor and his band of morons can't get out of the way to keep the functioning trash collection going? One thing is clear - this mayor and his administration will never do any of those things, because they care more about appearances, soundbites, and themselves more than the city.
These are people who want all the good ole boy benefits of cozy small town government while receiving big city recognition and benefits. They cannot accept what comes with the territory: media scrutiny. Unless of course it's directed at their opposition.
If you can't stand the heat....
Everyone is looking for an answer to why all the crime? It's right there for all to see. They can't control their emotions.
The media has given him and his administration a pass for years.
So, of course they expect it now.
Maybe they can follow them around and ask about the plan to resolve the crime rate, inability to collect water payments, and how he plans to gentrify the city and replenish the tax base?
Nah.
Mayoral staffer Fat Melvin attacks anyone and everyone, including elected Council members, endlessly on Twitworld.
You get the government you deserve.
Lil Chuckie's female crew jumps, shouts and insults just like the husky thugs seen in female gang beat downs on occasional videos. They haven't grabbed hair, tackled, slapped and stomped heads yet in Council chambers, but they want to.
Sure looks like grounds for an assault charge....
2:58. This is not only drama. This is incompetence. The sad part is that you don’t realize it. You think this elementary style of leadership is okay. I’m embarrassed for you.
@3:21 Nonsense, it's not! Right?!
This looks like Red Russia!
A TV series on this would take all the awards!
Do you see what happens when the race card no longer works?
“Dr.” Safiya Omari. What’s her doctorate in, Stupidity?
This group of clown are a bunch of infantile bullies.
Civil rights charges should be brought.
Degrees:
BS - We all know what that means
MS - More of the same
PhD - Piled higher and deeper
She is an academic and social justice warrior. I have known lots of PhDs and most of them didn't desire to be addressed as "doctor" away from the university environment, and some not even on campus.
For her to insist on being addressed as "doctor" in the government employ shows her insecurity, and she is likely primed to raise the race card if anyone neglects to kiss her ring and address her as "doctor."
6:15 PM
Shhhh.
Next !
Am I the only one who thinks it's funny to watch her jump up and down, trying to grab his cell phone that he is holding up out of reach? That picture is worth 1,000 words.
Hopefully it will be a fitting analogy for Antar's ambitions of higher office at the national level.
Just proves that a degree doesn’t really make you better than the brawlers at the crab buffet!
What was it that Kenny Stokes said? Don’t embarrass your race
That sentiment is lost on the new generation. They consider anything short of absolute tolerance to be a racist aggression. Therefore, they don’t feel the need to act like that have home training.
If this Administration shuts down them dope boys in the Jackson area everything else will fall in place! Don’t be surprised there’s a drug conspiracy in the mix!
Just saying, it will all come out when the smoke clears. In the movies, it comes down to drugs or sex.
Ain’t this a movie!
There is nothing they can do when the level of their incompetence and stupidity comes out for the whole world to see....
As a last resort start screaming and yelling in a falsetto voice, while having that stupid "who me" look on their face!
I love karma, but it can be a "bitch" sometimes and now it's raised it's head and bit the mayor and his cronies right in the gluteus maximus.
The person with Omari is Vincent Grizzell, Brian Grizzell’s brother and Mayors bodyguard. He is also a deputy chief at JPD.
Under what authority does this Ridgeland resident think she is entitled to quash the press? What an idiot!
@7:59 PM
Did you just quote Kenneth Stokes?
Of all the people walking this earth, you quoted Kenneth Stokes?
Kenneth Stokes.
Vincent Grizzell, Brian Grizzell’s brother
That explains Brian Grizzell's keen penchant to jack boot and butt kiss.
So, are all legacy cities dealing with similar cartoon characters? Chicago is, but what about others? Chockwe, Melvin, Omari, Frizzell; karma is gonna catch you when you aren’t looking and it’s gonna suck.
I truly believe the mayor and his cronies thought they had this mayor gig figured out and were already having meetings about their future on a national stage. The oompa loompa Phd and her actions trying to jump up and take a camera from someone tells me they are in no way prepared to handle any adversity.
Imagine if you paid this woman thousands of dollars to represent you in court and she displayed this exact same behavior before a judge! 😰😱👎
Can't see the video KF.
@6:33
You have to turn off all of your privacy protections and let Zuckerberg inside.
I could understand the outrage if this were a real news outlet that also held white politicians accountable like the Jackson Free Press or to a lesser extent Mississippi Today or RL Nave's Reckon South, but these "reporters" are only covering this because it make Black elected officials look bad without including any context of the effects of generations of white supremacy on the capital city.
There are plenty of white politicians who would disagree with you.
Why don't you go over to those publications and ask why they don't critically report minority governments in Mississippi? One hasn't done it since the Melton days and the others don't do it at all.
As for what I cover, I live in Jackson. Jackson is the capital city. It gets covered regardless of whether black or white. Blacks happen to run it so guess what? They are going to dominate the news coverage about Jackson government.
Wow, Melvin Robinson is a terror and must be stopped. It's shaameful. SMGDH
Let no one forget that Omari is a resident of Madison County.
8:03 Obviously there is a context for all the ridiculous events taking place in Jackson today. But for adults, that does not change our basic accountability for OUR actions. The people who dare to take the mantle of leadership, black or white, must be held to a reasonable standard of conduct/ performance no matter who or what came before them. When they ran for office they did not cite excuses, so don't do so after they assume office. KF presents facts regarding Jackson government today and people comment on this blog. Some comments are reasonable some are not. I for one, a Black man, appreciate any news source providing me with credible information on this city whether it makes some of us look bad or not. We cannot help if we do not know.
2:58 PM You're illogical and sick, plus you said "moist". GTHOH!
8:03 AM "...only covering this because it make (sic) Black elected officials look bad"
TOO FUNNY! News media/reporters/video are showing fact and actual occurrences. It doesn't matter what color it is. It shows individuals who are immature, irresponsible, incompetent and performing illegal acts!
8:03 said "these 'reporters' are only covering this because it make Black elected officials look bad"
Certain officials make themselves look bad. All we have to do is look at them, and they look bad. They need no help to look bad, other than a clear view of them.
A person should not call themselves a doctor unless they are a medical doctor. She probably has some crap education doctorate or PHD in something like urban planning. Give me a break. My professors didn't even call themselves doctor and they had PHD's in economics
2:55
Even worse. Experimental social psychology.
Uhhhh @ 8:03
"these 'reporters' are only covering this because it make Black elected officials look bad"
Duh, there are no "reporters in jackson...... hasn't been in over 20 yrs. The ones doing the reporting are your dyed in the wool " blue/liberal Fondren living writers".
Also, no one has to write anything about said official. It's on the 6 & 10 pm news everyday, along with Facebook videos and Youtube videos. The making them look bad is done on their own, no help needed. You don't get up in a "public" meeting cuss, clown, yell/scream and threaten like you're in the old Mill Street lounge or Club Volcano, yet night after night, there you are on TV doing it.
It's gotten to where you can't tell the difference between a Hinds County Board of Supervisors meeting or jackson city counsel meeting.
YEP, no help needed!!!!
To quote Michael Buffer: "LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!"
Experimental social psychology? What in the world? Is that a University of Phoenix online degree?
experimental social psychology = Let's gather 'round the bong and solve all of society's problems
@8:03
Why don't you go to the City of jackson and Mayor's Facebook pages and take a gander at the citizens who is calling his incompetent ass out along with his appointed lacky's on his dismal performance...
Just a warning, get ready to get your feelings hurt on trying to make it a black/white issue. Try moving to Chicago, you might get get some points with Mayor Beetlejuice's administration.
"Where’s Shad?"
Shad's job is to investigate corruption and fraud and theft, after the fact. He's not into investigating idiocy, ineptness and water-treading.
For those ridiculing KF for the phrase “man handled,” keep in mind that the unauthorized touching of another is called a battery.
That fat female goon should be sued Monday.
On that note, where do these animals get off, putting their hands on civilized humans?
@10:32
These idiots that are living off our taxes don’t give a flip about the real people of Jackson that pay taxes. They slam NE Jackson and whites but they forget the map that shows who is the city piggy bank. Return our white tax dollars and let’s see how you do for a while Dr. Omari!!! I have a real MD and graduated from Georgetown meanwhile I pay your salary your a public servant and you need to know that. No one thinks your credible.
I feel ya dude.
10:32 AND 1:13 If you are insinuating that the "real people" of Jackson are all white or all live in NE Jackson you should come out from under your pointy hood and notice that there are also Black people who are sick and tired of this situation. Many have left Jackson, but many like the whites you mention, have stayed, hopefully to initiate change. Oh yes Dr., and if you graduated from Georgetown, I know what YOUR degree is not in.
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