Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey fired back at Mississippi Today with a blistering response after the online newspaper reported in several articles his employees abused inmates.
Two newly discovered videos taken inside the Rankin County jail show officers mocking and laughing at an intellectually disabled inmate, the same man guards had filmed days earlier being shocked in an electrified vest after he asked for a Coke.Former department employees said the videos, recorded in 2018, were shared widely on an encrypted WhatsApp group chat. The footage provides a deeper look into the culture of the jail, where a recent investigation by Mississippi Today and The New York Times revealed that guards and jail administrators routinely beat inmates.In one video, Larry Buckhalter stands before the camera in his prison jumpsuit and a party hat and sings “Happy Birthday” to “Barry,” an apparent reference to Barry Vaughn, the former head of the jail who is now undersheriff.In the second video, someone off camera instructs Buckhalter to “tell him you love him.” “I love you, Barry!” he says, and gleefully announces it is his last day in jail. As he speaks, a man in uniform standing behind him slams a plastic sign to the floor. Startled, Buckhalter jumps and screams as people off camera laugh.
The videos were created days after Buckhalter had asked jail guards for a Coke in October 2018. Shortly after his request, the guards strapped him into an electrified vest, intended to keep violent inmates under control. Then they filmed him screaming and convulsing while they shocked him. “Now you get a Coke!” a female guard says at the end of the video. “It’s all over! I’m so proud of you, Larry!”Rest of article, including all three videos.
When reporters Brian Howey, Jerry Mitchell, Nate Rosenfield, and Mukta Joshi asked Sheriff Bailey to comment on the allegations before it was published, RCSO attorney Jason Dare sent this response.
The letter posted below accuses a reporter of offering to pay a former inmate for information.
There will undoubtedly be more to come as a blood feud develops between Mississippi Today and the Sheriff.
4 comments:
Is anyone surprised? This is literally their playbook. Lie and fabricate misinformation then double down when called out. Next will be more personal smears/attacks.
1:35, you described Ms Today perfectly.
Two things can be true at the same time. (1) Rankin County has an issue with the Sheriff's Department. It needs to be cleaned up and cleaned up quickly. (2) Mississippi Today is partisan, unethical, and a sh***y tabloid. They do a poor job.
To any news outlet pursuing RSO and / or Brian Bailey:
Quit wasting our time. You are trying to insert yourselves as entities having more power, resources, ability and motivation than the Federal Government to send Sherriff Bailey to jail. None of you want, or wanted Brian Bailey crushed more than the feds. You are a spec of sand compared to the US Department of Justice and even they couldn't do it.
In your world only a public lynching would satisfy the thirst you possess to literally kill him. Fortunately for the rest of us, these fabrications are equal only to the latest comment from MSNBC, CNN, or the other rabid liberals spewing whatever they choose.
We are laughing at you.
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