JPD Investigates One Of Its Own
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Arrest Investigation
Arrest InvestigationJackson police are investigating a morning arrest that News Channel 12 caught on camera. The video shows the officer taking down a suspect, and in the process, using a racial slur.
Police sources tell us the officer seen in the video arresting the suspect is Craig Crowley. On the video, Crowley can be heard calling 16-year-old Charles Jones the “N” word. At one point, the officer appears to kick the teen when he wouldn’t go to the ground. Sources tell us the Internal Affairs Division is reviewing the officer’s actions.
Police say Jones, 16-year-old Rashaun Jones, and 17 year-old Andre Bass tried to rob the owner of Bell’s Robes and Worship Aids on Medgar Evers Blvd.
The owner says the teens approached him as he was going into the store and stuck a gun in his back. He tried to wrestle the weapon away, but injured his finger when the gun almost went off. The teens fled after the struggle.
Officers say the teens have confessed to the armed robbery as well as two previous carjackings.
Lt. Jeffrey Scott tells us Acting Police Chief Tyrone Lewis is reviewing the video and will decide if disciplinary action is necessary. Scott says department policy allows an officer to use force when it’s needed to make an arrest.
“This guy wasn’t laying still for the female officer when she had her weapon drawn on him…that’s why there was such a response,“ he said. “I think our officers…acted appropriately.“
Scott says the actions taken by the officers did not violate the suspect’s civil rights. As for the use of the “N” word, he says it’s important for officers not to degrade suspects during arrests.
“I’ve been in this department for 15 years - 3 shoot outs and a bad wreck that I walked away from - and I’m still here because you have to rely on your training….your skills,“ he said.
J.P.D. says officers are trained to use as much force as required on the suspect. They can be more forceful with criminals who they believe are armed and dangerous, and they can also be more aggressive when suspects are fleeing.
Police say the teens arrested are suspected in a recent crime spree. Investigators believe the teens tried to rob Fas Tax and also shot a security guard at Hamp’s Place. They’re also accused of an armed robbery and shooting at Gas Plus. All the crimes happened in the past two weeks. Police believe they used a stolen black Mercedes in the crimes. The abandoned car was found last Thursday.
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Reader Reactions
Hey all you THUGS out there, I have a great idea,one you may like. Maybe we should have mercy on you and let you out of jail, and put your THUG TRASH PARENTS in jail. They are absolutely responsible for your behavior. Your BRUTAL,THUG WAYS didn’t just start when you were grown, it started when you were kids and allowed to run the streets with no raising or moral values. Most of you got it natural. Mama and Daddy were thugs too!!!!!!!! Jackson: enough is enough!!!!!!!
OK, Maybe the officer shouldn’t have said the “N” word;BUT what about the filth that comes out of these thugs’ mouths. You cant pass by these thugs in public without hearing words that start with m f. The true shame is that you hear these type people using this language when they are in grade school. I am enraged that this SCUM brutalized one of our Seniors. Somebody build an ark, We need another FLOOD!!!!
I want to thank the true police officers that do their dangerous hard jobs daily for that little pay. But just like all uf us that work it is a job to deal with the public and their bad days and attitudes. Having a job, position, title does not give anyone the right verbally abuse anyone. No matter how wrong they are. No one is above the law our former mayor wasn’t nor are our officers. I am not questioning how he did his job he did that by the book. I question the remarks that came out of his mouth that had nothing to do with his job.
Any time an arrest is made, someone comes along and finds fault with the way the police handled the case. I stand up with the police. They have a dangerous job with little pay and someone always finding fault.
This reminds me of those “Mamas” always taking up for their thug children who are never in the wrong. We’ve all seen the type. Leave this FINE officer alone. We,as citizens of Jackson, are sick of these scum thugs bullying our streets. Way to go WJTV, great story, poor thug kid getting brutalized by the Big Bad Police. The officer should have worked him over. Enough is Enough. Also, for any poster who side with this thug, your home DESERVES to be broken into
Yes it waz wrng 4 them 2 do what they did. But da law iz da law!!!!!!!!!!!!
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