A correctional officer with the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department was arrested Monday morning following a hearing in Lauderdale County Circuit Court in which a judge determined there was enough probable cause to charge the officer.
Mitchell Eugene Pierre II, 19, of Quitman, was taken into custody immediately after the probable cause hearing requested by Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie upon the completion of an internal investigation into accusations Pierre brought contraband into the jail.
Pierre is now charged with bringing contraband into a correctional facility. He was placed on $20,000 bond.
The investigation began recently when an inmate provided sheriff's department officials with information that alleged Pierre was supplying another inmate with a cell phone inside the Lauderdale County Adult Detention Facility located in downtown Meridian. Cell phones are among a long list of items prohibited for inmates to possess.
Pierre was fired in May from his job as a correctional officer.
"The case will be presented to the next Lauderdale County grand jury and we will be seeking an indictment," said LCSD Chief Dep. Ward Calhoun.
Sollie commented on how important it was for the public to have confidence those who serve the county will do so with highest regard for the law, honesty and sense of responsibility while doing their jobs.
"As law enforcement officers, we are held to a higher standard and whenever someone brings down that standard we are disappointed and angry," said Sollie Monday afternoon. "There are more than a hundred employees with the sheriff's department in various capacities that uphold the standards we've set for ourselves. It is unfortunate when one person strays from that level of integrity and honesty."
After the internal investigation determined there was enough evidence implicating Pierre, Sollie made a motion before the Lauderdale County Circuit Court to have a probable cause hearing, which is required by state law whenever a county employee is suspected of wrongdoing.
Local News
Related Photos
Discussion
LCSD correctional officer arrested
Charge includes passing cell phone to inmate
- Local News
-
-
High Honor
The flowers and balloons Crestwood Elementary School Principal Kimberly Kendrick received at school Monday were not an early Valentines' Day gift.
Kendrick has been named Meridian Public School District's 2012 Administrator of the Year – an announcement that both surprised and wowed the 17-year veteran educator when made by MPSD Superintendent Dr. Alvin Taylor. -
Master Dance Class
-
Digital system promises better communication
Hopefully in the near future you won't hear someone in the emergency services ask over the radio, "Can you hear me now?"
A digital communications system, one which is being pushed by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), is a few months away and, in some cases, is already in the testing phase in Lauderdale County. -
Inmate escapes custody
Mississippi Department of Corrections officials said Monday afternoon an inmate escaped from custody Friday and is still being sought.
Officials said Johnny Hall Jr. escaped from two Wilkinson County Correctional Facility officers’ custody while being escorted from his father’s wake at the Picayune Funeral Home in Picayune. Preliminary information indicates Hall left the officers and jumped into a waiting black vehicle with a white female driver. -
Citizen’s Police Academy begins today
The work law enforcement conducts on a daily basis is often misunderstood by the general public.
Officials at the Meridian Police Department developed a program to inform and educate citizens on what police do in serving and protecting the population. The program, The Citizen's Police Academy, has been gaining speed for a couple of years since it was first offered. Officials said it shows residents are interested in police work and how it is conducted. - Woman: decongestant brought meth charge in Alabama
-
Star Of The Week: Dominique Goodwin-Jenkins
-
SoMiSPO brings steel drum rhythms to MCC
-
About face
Nothing is forever in the military and after a months-long battle to secure a C-27J Spartan flying mission and its field training unit at Key Field and the 186th Air Refueling Wing, it seems all of that is flying the way of the KC-135 tankers that used to fill the skies over Meridian.
- Marriages & Divorces: Sunday, February 5, 2012
- More Local News Headlines
-
Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
Raw Video: Giants Celebrate Another Super Bowl
Cab Driver Helps Wis. Family Escape House Fire
Greek Leaders Seek Deal As Bankruptcy Looms
Bernanke: Recovery Depends on Consumer Spending
Staff Removed at LA School During Abuse Probe
Eastwood in Super Bowl Ad 'Compassionate'
Stranded Fishermen Rescued From Bay of Green Bay
Analyst: Outside Troops Won't Intervene in Syria
Police: Father Planned Deadly Fire for Some Time
US, UK Pressure on Syria; More Homs Violence
Raw Video: Mass Killer Wants Medal, Freedom
Court Strips Contador of Tour De France Title
Runaway Goat Leads Police on Wild Chase
And the Winner for Best Super Bowl Ad Is...
Romney Latest Poll to Join Let-me-explain Club
