Erin Kelly / The Meridian StarTommy Williams is led out of a Meridian city council meeting in handcuffs Tuesday night. Interim Police Chief Charles Coleman said Williams was not arrested, but placed in handcuffs because he refused to move. 

The city of Meridian has given Meridian Police Lt. Rita Jack a letter of intent to terminate, Jack said at a Tuesday night city council meeting where one person was led out in handcuffs. 

Jack, who has served the police department for more than 22 years, gave an impassioned address to the council, calling for continued funding of the assistant chief position and the hiring of a police chief from within the department. 

“I was handpicked by the mayor to interview for chief of police, just a few months ago,” Jack said. “I am now facing losing my job.”

At a meeting of the Meridian Civil Service Commission last week, Jack requested an investigation into why police recently placed her on paid administrative leave and an investigation into the failure of a senior officer to discipline a junior officer, according to Jack’s attorney, Joseph Denson. 

The commission voted to open the investigations and another requested by Jack last month involving the promotions of two officers.

Denson claimed the city discriminated against Jack on the basis of gender.

Following the council meeting, Denson said Jack had not been given a reason for why she could be terminated, but that he planned to file a notice of appeal. 

“We’re requesting investigations, but within our request to the Civil Service Commission, she gets a notice of intent to impose discipline. You’ve got to ask yourself the question, what is really going on here?” Denson asked.

The city provided the following statement after the meeting: 

“The City of Meridian has issued a letter of intent to terminate Lt. Rita Jack from her duties within the Meridian Police Department. She has five days to respond to the letter before a final decision is rendered. Lt. Jack has legal representation and since this is a personnel matter, there will be no further comments at this time.”

Charles Coleman, a 29-year-veteran of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, was appointed in May to serve for 90 days as interim police chief.

Mayor Percy Bland said he expected the council to vote on whether to confirm Coleman in August.

Following Jack’s address to the council, several people in attendance applauded. 

Tommy Williams, a frequent attendee of city meetings and acting director of The Lauderdale County Citizens for Responsible Governance, was led out in handcuffs, prompting questions about the reason from council members. 

Ward 5 Councilman Weston Lindemann later asked Coleman what crime had been committed and Coleman did not reply.

“Anyone who appoints this chief needs to be voted out of office,” Lindemann said, visibly frustrated. “Anyone who votes for this chief needs to be voted out of office … I don’t know what else to say. We’re arresting people at city council meetings. This is a new low.”

In previous meetings, police have escorted people out. The use of handcuffs has not been witnessed in meetings over the last year. 

Coleman told The Meridian Star after the meeting that Williams was not arrested, but escorted out because he refused to move. He would not provide further details. 

Reached by phone after the meeting, Williams said he had stood up and clapped in appreciation for Jack’s comments, before Coleman approached him and asked him to leave. 

Williams said he told Coleman he didn’t want to leave and then he was handcuffed and led out of the meeting.

He said he was escorted into a patrol car, but was not taken to the police station and was released at his car without a citation. 

“I think that’s an example of how unqualified he is,” Williams said, referring to Coleman.

The mayor said some of what Coleman communicated in open meetings should not have been communicated the way they were, but that Coleman had done a lot in two months.

“The direction that has been going on within the department in regards to some of the change that has happened, they were good changes,” Bland said.

Asked about Williams, Bland said decorum at the meeting was out of line Tuesday night. 

“I think anyone that is out of line in any meeting, that officer or officers at the time have to make that decision. I had my back turned, but I do know that the decorum behind me was way out of line for this meeting.”