A Mississippi lawmaker isn't backing down after suggesting residents throw rocks, bricks and bottles at police officers.
Jackson Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes said Friday that he wasn't trying to incite a riot when he made his feelings known about officers from jurisdictions who chase misdemeanor suspects into the city, according to The Clarion-Ledger.
"My position is this: When you have these police officers coming from other jurisdictions and they will not respect human life, then I said we should use rocks, bricks or bottles to try to get the message over: stop endangering our children," Stokes told the newspaper. "Now I have supported police officers in police departments all over this state from when I was a (Hinds County) supervisor when we voted for new cars and equipment for police officer. I opened and closed the last council meeting an honor of an officer who had died. I have named streets after officers in this city."
Stokes' remarks were in response to a reported high-speed police pursuit in Jackson on Christmas Eve involving police officers from surrounding areas.
"These kind of chases put children in danger," Stokes said. "They said parents were trying to get their children out of harms way. Now, it is our position that if it is a misdemeanor, you shouldn't be putting children and the elderly in danger."
Madison County Sheriff Randy Tucker said in a Facebook post to Stokes that law enforcement will not be intimidated by him.
"Any Madison County law enforcement that is attacked because your ignorant statements, I will hold you responsible," he wrote. "I fully intend to contact the MS Attorney General and inquire if your statements constitute assaults on officers by threat."
Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber said that while there is a need to demand respect of jurisdictional boundaries, he would never condone violence against police.
