Posted on 09/15/2006 3:44:37 PM PDT by WoofDog123
Residents of the city’s Virden Addition tell the Jackson Free Press that they saw Mayor Frank Melton and a team of young men partially demolish a duplex at 1305 Ridgeway Street last Saturday night. Unlike at least some of the dilapidated homes that Melton has been regularly burning down in the city, this home was privately owned and occupied, they say.
Michael Smith, of Jackson, is among residents near Bailey Avenue claiming that the mayor and a team of young men took sledgehammers to a home owned by Jennifer Sutton, hours after the mayor cut his hand during a crime sweep on the street.
“They tore up everything. They tore up the front of the house, they knocked holes in the walls, and they poured paint all over the kitchen,” said Smith, gesturing to a smashed toilet. “Him and them boys messed this whole place up.”
Today the duplex sits with gray plastic covering the front end and smashed windows along the sides and the back. The interior is heaped with the smashed remnants of the occupant’s belongings, including televisions and electronics, and the eave of the house has tumbled to the front lawn because neighbors say Melton and his cohorts smashed the front wall supports that once held it.
The Clarion-Ledger reported Aug. 27 that Melton had cut both hands in a crime sweep on the same street, but made no mention of Melton coming back for more.
One neighbor, who says she wants to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions, says Melton made two trips to the home last Saturday, each one of them delivering destruction upon the place.
“We, my kids and our friends, were all standing outside watching everything. Frank and them young people jumped out of that big bus (the Mobile Command Center). When Melton got out of the truck, he said he was gonna stop the drugs that’s going on in this area around the kids. … Then they went in there and busted all the windows out and put a big hole in the front. He didn’t take anybody to jail the first time because the (resident) was just standing outside the house," the neighbor said.
That was the first time Melton came, according to the neighbor. She says Melton left and then came back 45 minutes to an hour later, without police, and smashed the place even more thoroughly with the help of young men claiming to be members of the Wood Street Players.
“They just demolished the man’s house,” she said. “They busted toilets, they busted furniture, they tore up stoves and put holes in the walls. They just demolished the house the second time. (The resident) was still standing outside the house. Frank put him in cuffs. I don’t know if he took him to jail or not, because I haven’t seen him. He was just looking. There wasn’t nothing he could do. Frank's got big bodyguards around him; what are you going to do?”
Owner Jennifer Sutton, 37, says the renter was Evans Welch. She said she hasn’t heard from Welch since his arrest that night. Jackson Police Department spokesman Tyrone Lewis did not return calls and did not confirm Welch’s arrest.
Smith said he didn’t think Welch was dealing drugs and didn’t deserve the treatment.
“Naw, he wasn’t no dealer. Frank says everybody’s a dealer. Shit. If he was a dealer, why didn’t (Melton) bring MBN (Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics) or ATF? He didn’t even bring the police with him that second time. He just brought some damn children and they broke the place,” Smith said.
Sutton said she intends to sue the city for vandalism of her property, among other things, and has already hired the services of Attorney Barbara Blackmon to handle the case. Blackmon did not immediately return calls.
Hinds County District Attorney Faye Peterson said Friday that Melton had put the city in serious liability for a lawsuit if what witnesses say is true.
“The government cannot possess and destroy private property, so on its face that’s a civil violation,” Peterson said, admitting that she’d rarely encountered this kind of incident in her career.
“If it’s true, I would have to look this one up because this is rather unique. I’m just not sure off the top of my head how to classify this. I’ve never heard of anybody just going in and destroying somebody’s house. The damage to the property may very well be a felony.”
A felony conviction could cost Melton his job as mayor of the city. Sutton said she might press charges against him.
“Well, yeah, I’m considering pressing charges. He came back that Monday and sat on my porch and told the neighbors he was going to come back and finish the job (of tearing it down), saying he didn’t care who the owner was,” Sutton said. “I might have to do something.”
ACLU Executive Director Nsombi Lambright said Friday that the ACLU would be willing to escort Sutton to the police department to file charges against the mayor if the owner felt she needed the protection.
The Jackson Free Press tried to reach Mayor Frank Melton Friday for comment, but he said through bodyguard Michael Recio that he has "no comment."
Welch's mother Lawana Welch said she knew her mentally disabled son had been arrested by police but had not been told on what charges.
"They won't tell me why they arrested him and I'm really worried about him," Welch said. "He called me the night they got him saying 'Momma, Momma, call the landlady. Call the landlady. Tell them that I've been paying my rent.'"
"I know he was so proud of living on his own, even though I took care of his rent," Welch continued. "He was living on his own, and that's what he wanted. I just wish I'd known Melton was going to do this."
Watch this space for updates to this story ...
This story is Copyright 2006 Jackson Free Press. Any use of its contents, including quotes from interviews, must be attributed to the Jackson Free Press.
Breaking Update, Sept. 5, 2006: In a follow-up interview, District Attorney Faye Peterson told the JFP today that, if the allegations about the duplex destruction are true, the mayor could be charged and convicted of one of three felonies: (1) Violation of 97-17-67, Malicious Mischief, up to $10,000 fine and five years in prison, (2) 97-17-1-6, Inducing a Minor to Commit a Felony, up to 20 years in prison, (3) 97-1-7, Conspiracy to Commit Malicious Mischief. Also, the victims do not have to press charges in order for arrests occur; it can be taken straight to a grand jury.
The district attorney declined to confirm whether her office plans to make arrests in this case. More details in the print edition Wednesday.
This assclown needs to be removed from office and do hard time for this crap.....
"“If it’s true, I would have to look this one up because this is rather unique. I’m just not sure off the top of my head how to classify this. I’ve never heard of anybody just going in and destroying somebody’s house"
In the fifties a sometimes business partner of my dad's, hired a crew to demolish, and remove the wood frame home on raised foundation, owned by some one he didn't like, while they were on vacation.
When they returned, all that was left was a large brown spot of dirt in the middle of a vacant lot.
click-click BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG
click-click-click-click-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG
Or for those opposed to shooting someone with handguns...
click-click-BOOM-click-click-BOOM-click-click-BOOM
clack-click-click-click--click-click-BOOM-click-click-BOOM-click-click-BOOM
This is nutz...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Melton
Frank Melton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
September 15, 2006 - Jackson Mayor Frank Melton, elected on a promise to get tough on crime, was indicted by a Hinds County grand jury on five felony charges. Hinds County, Mississippi Sheriff Malcolm McMillin said also indicted were two Jackson police officers who served as his bodyguards. He said the three were released after posting bond.[7]
Wonder if there is an basis for federal investigation of this? He might get out of state/local charges.
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060915/NEWS/60915017
Melton won't resign, attorney says
/johnny
"JFP is very liberal but also quite honest in their reporting"
I guess they must be honest, it's hard to imagine any paper making up a story like this one.
it was covered about a week later by local print and tv media.
It gets worse, he's a black Republican. He needs to be taken to the closest available jail, and throw the key away.....What an embarrassment!
Nothing says I love you like a 30/06 round to the head
A Republican?
He's not an embarrassment, he's a disgrace!
I hope the Justice System is twice as hard on him.
I understand a RAT doing this, but ANY Repub really needs to have his clock cleaned,
HE IS NOT REPUBLICAN.
Furthermore, this penchant for using the Wood Street Boys as informants and "friends" has turned on him and taken him out. Those same boys that used to be lounging around with Melton in the crime van last week and dodging school will be selling crack on the street next week. However, maybe a Jackson Public School truancy officer will call their momma to court this time.
Jackson is killing itself because the kids think that, rap-wise, Jackson is the next Atlanta. Jobwise, it's the next city of nothingness because welfare has destroyed the city. Crime has destroyed the city. I may teach these children, but I have a bullet for them if they ever come to my house.
Melton, stop hugging my kids. The fact that you are surrounded by gang members just makes the gangsters look good.
Let me go out on a limb on this one and guess (1) he is a RAT, (2) he is black. (/sarcasm)
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