Roy Exum
In the Tuesday, August 27, 2019 edition of Chattanooga’s Times Free Press – two days ago – there appeared a color picture on Page One that showed part of about two dozen black pastors grouped in front of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, surly demanding the resignation of the county’s sheriff. If I am not mistaken, I believe I have seen a very famous painting that had sketches of this same band of losers who were prominent during the week my Jesus Christ was crucified 2,020 years ago outside the walls of Jerusalem.
These purported “men of God” are so very like the very guys who have starred throughout history in exactly the same misguided roles.
Ever since Christ died on the cross so these pastors could march in the “Legion of the Miserable,” there have been carbon copies of the deluded ones in the raucous crowd who shouted down Pilate to free the murderer Barabbas instead of allowing my Master to go free on that Passover Day many centuries ago. I firmly believe I am worse than any of these preachers, yet we know that trouble has been their magnet, hatred has been their compass, and the certainty they will face my Jesus come Judgment Day is something not a one has paused to consider.
These ministers, as a group, are wrong and, while I am far from the one to judge any other human being with my satchel of transgressions, for them to hide their racism behind the cross of God is darn-near sacrilege.
I believe, after all the time I have spent on earth, the Chattanooga “Unity Group” (which is the collective name for the Chattanooga black ministers for any who wish to send checks) is most assuredly non-Christian. Their actions, and the reasons many believe are driving those actions - in my mind - are as far from the Christian doctrines, the Bible, and true believers than any of us can possibly imagine.
Seven pages back in the same Tuesday newspaper, the top headline screamed, “Violent weekend sees five shot, one fatally.” You have to read the article to know the dead girl, age 19, was carrying her second child and leaves a 2 ½-year-old son behind. You also must go to the Erlanger emergency room to confirm all five who were shot were black and that all the shooters are believed black by the Chattanooga Police Department. Erlanger also confirmed the unborn child, in its seventh month of gestation, was unable to be saved from the mother’s bullet-ridden body.
If that sounds harsh, it is meant to be. So far in this calendar year we have had 89 of our citizens shot, and now 18 have died. Please, why in the wake of such black-on-black madness do these black pastors believe that if they play the race card that their congregations, their critical wisdom, and their leadership abilities will have any meaning or validation with 18 dead, the overwhelming majority black, in their very neighborhoods.
I spent the greatest part of an entire day studying the history and arrest of James Myron Mitchell. The police sheet says he is 41 years old. Studying his life in records that could be publicly accessed, I found over 40 arrests. He well may be a career criminal, but his “rap sheet” makes Barabbas look like a fledgling amateur.
James Myron Mitchell was not driving the car when it was pulled over for “tinted windows.” Too much tint is reason for probable cause in Tennessee. When the driver of the car, Latisha Menifee, promptly yielded to emergency lights, there was heavy evidence marijuana was being smoked in the car, this about 9 ‘clock on the night of July 10, 2019. Mitchell allegedly admitted using weed and was told he would be issued a written citation. Ms. Menifee is reportedly a relative of Chattanooga City Council member Demetrus Coonrod, who authorities say has been involved in the study of the case. Ms. Menifree was neither charged nor subpoenaed.
Alarmed by the way Mitchell was acting, the sheriff’s officers asked him to get out of the car and he continued to behave as though he had something to hide. He became combative as he was searched. It is well-known among law officers that criminals believe the best place to hide contraband is in the crotch area of their underpants. At the 10-minute mark in the 20-minute dash-cam tape you can clearly see one officer pull the elastic band of Mitchell’s underwear back, shine a light, and extract a baggie of cocaine that contained a needle syringe. “At that point the suspect immediately quit fighting because there was nothing else to hide.”
Attorney General Neal Pinkston took the “high road” on the Mitchell stop, dismissing all charges on July 11. Around the same time it was learned that, in a totally unconnected event, a Tennessee Highway Patrol stop in Marion County resulted in Mitchell being charged with possession of stolen property, unlawful possession of a handgun by a felon, evading arrest, and aggravated assault. Bond was set at $25,000.
Yesterday I was in an office with Jim Hammond, who I knew as a deputy long before he was named Sheriff in 2008, and his chief deputy, Austin Garrett, who I have admired for a quarter century as a key part of the Chattanooga Police Department. I know both in a way they would never lie.
“So, did either of the officers 'fondle the genitalia of the suspect'?” Both were vehement in their instant replies. “No way … We treat every man and woman we take into custody with complete respect,” said the sheriff. “Unfortunately, some suspects believe the crotch area of their pants is ‘untouchable.’ To me it is, but you can hide a small .40-caliber pistol between your legs … we find drugs in baggies all the time.”
Chief Deputy Garrett: “There is no doubt in my mind that there was no digital penetration like some people have claimed. Watch the tape. There is no way it could have happened. I know virtually everyone in the sheriff’s office has seen that tape and I don’t know anyone who feels we did anything other than by the book. Anyone who works in law enforcement has to deal with some extremely difficult situations and, in this instance, I am pleased with the way our professionals responded.”
What about the pastors’ demands that you retire? Sheriff Hammond: “That will not happen. I have done nothing wrong. It is not wrong to stand solidly with your officers and I will never let any crowd heckle me onto a public sidewalk to answer anything. I have happily agreed to meet them in civil conversation around a conference table in a respectful way but when a minister challenges me to a sidewalk confrontation ….” Hammond shook his head at the questionable Christianity, “I will always refuse. That is not what I personally feel should be the response of a dedicated Christian.”
Of course, Sheriff Hammond and Chief Garrett are right. The sheriff is charged with maintaining the prestigious setting among the best county sheriff’s department in the nation. He wasn’t there when Mitchell was arrested but he’s seen the tape dozens of times and combed its every inch more times than that. He said, “I’m not the type to carry a grudge. I don’t mind telling you that when I saw a picture of (former County Commissioner) Paul McDaniel in the crowd that stung a little. I thought we were great friends, especially after he knows best how hard we have tried to serve ‘every human being’ in this county.”
A while later, in parting, the Sheriff confided, “We have done nothing wrong … and that’s why I can tell Paul and Tim (Careathers) and anybody else who faults me and my men, “Forget it … I forgave you days ago as my Lord and Savior would have me do. But my God doesn’t want me anywhere that I can’t serve His children … “my” children too …”
Chew up some of that, Barabbas, and, while you are at it, it might do well if you would check certain church donations from some Democrat types who want control of the sheriff’s office ‘mucho pronto.’. Those silly sidewalk rumors are really something, and I don’t believe anybody could launch a salvo at the sheriff with 89 black people already shot, with 18 dead. What’s that? Oh, they are Chattanooga City folks and there ain’t no political action committees who have much to show with dead folks except as future voters. I’d still look at some church’s deposit slips, or so say the non-Barabbas followers who wait on the bus around 5th and Market.
The 'Record' of James Myron Mitchell:
* -- July 13, 2019 – Possession of Stolen Property, Unlawful Possession of Firearm (felon), Evading Arrest, Aggravated Assault (Marion Co. Sheriff’s Dept.)
* -- July 10, 2019 – Drugs General Category for resale, Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Tampering With Evidence, and Resisting Arrest or Obstruction of legal process (All charges were dismissed by Atty-General Neal Pinkston)
* -- April 3, 2009 – Aggravated Assault, Theft of property (over $1,000).
* -- August 31, 2006 –Fugitive from Justice, Evading Arrest, and Possession of Drugs (Marion Co. Sheriff’s Dept.)
* -- Sept. 14, 2006 – Aggravated Assault.
* -- April 11, 2006 – Fugitive from Georgia.
* -- Oct 15, 2005 -- DUI
* --Aug. 4, 2005 – Failure To Appear. (Chattanooga Police Dept.)
* --April 22, 2005 – Delivery of Cocaine.
* --Nov. 4, 2004 – Fugitive from Georgia.
* -- Sept. 8, 2004 – Vandalism
* -- August 15, 2004 – Vandalism
* -- July 23, 2004 – Vandalism (guilty), Aggravated Criminal Trespass (guilty), Assault (guilty).
* -- October 12, 2003 – Delivering Cocaine
* -- June 28, 2003 -- Selling/Distributing a Control Substance.
* -- Nov. 4, 2002 – Evading Arrest. (Red Bank Police Dept.)
* -- Sept. 25, 2002 – Aggravated Assault (Red Bank Police Dept.)
* -- May 31, 2002 – Registration, Unregistered vehicle (guilty), Stop sign (guilty), No licernse (dismissed)
* -- April 10, 2002 – Driving on Suspended License (Red Bank Police Dept.)
* -- Oct. 8, 2001 – Assault
* -- August 27, 2001 – Reckless Endangerment.
* -- August 11 – Speeding 85/70 guilty
* -- June 4, 2001 – Failure to Appear (Chattanooga Police Dept.)
* -- May 22, 2001 – Domestic Assault.
* -- May 2, 2001 – Condition of Release Violation.
* -- April 24, 2001 – Contempt of Court (Failure to Comply) guilty
* -- April 23, 2001 -- Assault.
* -- April 7, 2001 – Domestic Assault (guilty)
* -- March 20, 2001 – Reckless Endangerment.
* -- Jan. 4, 2001 – Reckless Endangerment
* -- Dec. 14, 2000 – Reckless Endangerment.
* -- August 29, 2000 – Failure to Appear (Chattanooga Police Dept.) guilty.
* -- August 28, 2000 -- Registration, Driving Unregistered Vehicle
* -- June 16, 2000 – Reckless Endangerment (guilty), Violation of Driver’s License Law & Stop Sign (Dismissed by District Attorney).
* -- Oct. 10, 1998 -- Vandalism
* -- July 22, 1998 – Reckless Endangerment, Vandalism (guilty).
* -- May 1, 1998 – Filing False Police Report.
* -- March 27, 1998 – Failure to Appear (Chattanooga Police Dept.)
* -- July 18, 1997 – Possession of Marijuana (guilty)
* -- June 8, 1997 – Possession of Controlled Substance (Resale)
* -- April 24, 1997 – Possession of Crack Cocaine for Resale (Guilty)
* -- April 22, 1997 – Speeding (Dismissed), Violation Driver’s License Law (Guilty)
* -- December 8, 1996 – Driving Under The Influence. (Guilty)