McComb police are skeptical of a man who says he was the victim of police brutality.
McComb resident Toymie Grady said he needed four stitches to his left eye, and suffered a broken nose and contusions to the left side of his face. Grady claims the injuries occurred about two weeks ago after he was handcuffed by police.
Grady said that within view of two other officers, he was slammed into his car, and then onto the concrete repeatedly. Grady also said he was choked until he became unconscious. When he awoke, he said the responding officer again slammed him to the ground.
“I heard another officer saying, ‘Don’t kill him. Don’t kill him,’ ” Grady told the Enterprise-Journal.
Grady’s car was parked outside a club on Summit Street in the early morning hours of June 18. He was charged with resisting arrest, disturbing the peace and public drunkenness. Grady said Municipal Judge Danny Smith released him the next morning once he found out what “really” happened.
Before he was let out of jail, police took him to Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center for treatment.
Grady came into the Enterprise-Journal office after he was treated. He had four stitches to his left eye, an inflamed nose, a bruised cheek and spots of blood on his shirt.
But a closer look into the incident tells a different story, according to Police Chief Scott McKenzie.
McKenzie handles complaints of abuse but was out of town when the incident occurred. He said he conducted an internal investigation into the allegations when he returned.
His probe revealed another story altogether.
“We’ve done a thorough investigation. And I began with the assumption that we were in the wrong,” he said.
McKenzie said police were able to contact the person who originally made a police complaint against Grady on the day he was arrested. The man confirmed his call to the department.
“We talked to several witnesses, including the property owner who called us to begin with. The owner said (Grady) sustained the injuries in a previous altercation with residents in the Burglund community,” McKenzie said. “We talked to witnesses to that altercation who said the same thing. The injuries were sustained before we even got a call.”
Assistant Police Chief Rodney Nordstrom said his conclusions were the same as McKenzie’s.
“My understanding is that they got a disturbing the peace call from dispatch that said an individual had gotten into a physical altercation with residents in a city neighborhood,” Nordstrom said.
After the altercation, Grady reportedly left the scene and returned.
“When he returned, the police were called by a property owner who wanted him removed,” Nordstrom said.
Grady disagreed with that story.
“They said they had a complaint about me. I wasn’t doing anything to anybody. I was sleeping in my car,” Grady said of being approached by the police.
Both Grady and the police said the arrest happened outside his car, which was parked on Summit Street. Grady said he lives in his car.
Grady complained that it was illegal for an officer to search his car.
“I told him that he couldn’t search my car without probable cause. That’s the law,” Grady said.
McKenzie said officers handcuffed Grady when he approached officers in a threatening manner.
Grady said officers were struggling to determine what to charge him with.
“He was saying, what are we going to charge him with? Disturbing the peace won’t stick,” Grady said.
Grady was taken to the police station, where the sergeant on duty asked him if he needed medical attention.
Grady said he wanted to go to a hospital, but refused when police said the responding officer would take him.
Another officer then took Grady to the hospital, where he was treated. McKenzie said it is protocol for the responding officer to take injured people to the hospital if necessary.
Attempts to get video surveillance of the arrest from the nearby club were unsuccessful, McKenzie said.
Grady also claimed racial epithets were used repeatedly during the assault. However, McKenzie questioned whether that was likely since the responding officer’s partner is black.
McKenzie also said that since the incident occurred, Grady was seen approaching the officer while he was on another call. The chief said that is unusual for someone who has been victimized to do so.
One of Grady’s assertions that seemed well beyond the realm of reason, McKenzie said, was when he claimed the officer bit him.
“Knowing what we know, there isn’t a chance a law enforcement official would bite another person. I just don’t see that,” he said.
McKenzie said it’s protocol to appoint a lieutenant or sergeant to conduct an investigation into any claims of police brutality. He said at one time the Mississippi Highway Patrol would step in for these cases. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is called in if a death occurs.
The chief said the officer has not been placed on leave or disciplined, but added that he is open to any new information on the incident. He said he is concerned with citizen perception of the police.
“It’s not the best time to be a police officer. And it’s never a good time to (be) having an issue in your own department. That’s why we take it so seriously,” McKenzie said.
