A McComb man arrested on a loud music violation in November 2007 said this week that Mayor Zach Patterson did the right thing by asking McComb police to review his case.
The case, one of several listed in a complaint by acting Police Chief Greg Martin to the Mississippi Attorney General’s office last month alleging mayoral interference, was decided in city court in June.
Jeff Caron, one of two people arrested in an incident at the McComb Event Center on Parklane Road, was found guilty and ordered to pay a $107 fine.
Caron maintains he was wrongfully held for violating the city’s noise ordinance as he was working at the venue. An employee there at the time, Caron said he was in a kitchen inside the building grilling for guests and did not have any control over the volume of sound equipment.
“Six police officers came in; it was like a SWAT bust,” Caron said. “It was a normal function.”
Caron said officers mistook him as co-owner of the business and took him into custody over the noise complaint.
“I’ve got a dozen witnesses — at least — that will state that I was cooking hamburgers,” Caron said. “It was pathetic. I’m sitting there in front of my mother and my father. … They came in, arrested me and Mr. Danny Gatlin. … They came and got me out of the kitchen and arrested me for a sound violation.”
Gatlin was an owner of the business at the time.
“Mr. Patterson is getting a bad reputation around McComb, but all he’s trying to do is clean up the city and do the right thing,” Caron said. “We went to him and complained because there was no one else to go to.”
Jeff Gill, who was working security on the night of the arrests, backed Caron’s account. Gill said he couldn’t hear a conversation between police, Caron and Gatlin, but Caron had to walk from the kitchen to speak with officers.
“Next thing I know, they handcuffed Mr. Caron,” Gill said. … “It was no security issue at all. … Basically just a bunch of kids and their parents.”
Caron claimed police have lied since then about the circumstances surrounding his case, saying he never pleaded guilty and intends to contest his conviction.
His attorney, Ivan Burkhardt, said that would likely come through a civil claim against the city for false arrest, since the bond for an appeal would be greater than the fine.
“They would not give me a chance to even speak what happened,” Caron said of his appearance in court. “I’ll take a lie detector test if I have to. I know I’m right. I’m telling the truth.”
Caron also alleged harassment of the business by police.
“They were coming around harassing this place before it ever got opened,” Caron said. “They just didn’t want another place that they thought might bring teenage violence or whatever. … All I know is I have a hard time understanding why they’re targeting an amusement place for teenagers. … Why are they picking on a place that doesn’t even serve alcohol? McComb police sit right there every weekend. You go there and you’ll see McComb police parked right outside.”
A public records request showed 25 calls to McComb police regarding the McComb Event Center during a period from Nov. 1, 2007 to Dec. 31, 2007 — which includes the date of Caron’s arrest.
Martin, meanwhile, was unavailable to discuss Caron’s case. He has declined requests for interviews since his two-week suspension by Patterson last month, citing pending litigation.
Martin, however, said in an interview last month that he had responded in a limited capacity to internal investigations requests by Patterson, but that formal complaints were required to formally review police actions. The chief said without proper documentation, the city would fail to provide protections guaranteed for employees under civil service rules and would lack evidence should an officer conduct case go to court.
“The City of McComb has in place a disciplinary process,” Martin said. “If I find an officer in violation, I follow protocol and conduct that investigation in a professional manner, never belittling anyone in my investigation. You can get a verbal reprimand, a documented warning, and a documented consultation … and I have done all of those in the past.”reprimand, a documented warning, and a documented consultation … and I have done all of those in the past.”
