Says police chief’s write-up not related to son’s DUI

By Myra Bean

Tension between Sardis Mayor Lula Palmer and Police Chief Steven McLarty has thickened and last week the chief received a written reprimand from the mayor for failure to provide police for an event on Dec. 15, 2018.

The situation will probably be discussed at the board meeting that was set for Monday afternoon, after The Panolian had been printed. Some people think McLarty was given the reprimand because the mayor’s son was arrested for DUI on Dec. 23, 2018.

Palmer refuted the allegations with texts she exchanged with Sterlyn Howell over Gifts of Love and to McLarty. She sent each one of them the other’s phone number to arrange for police presence at the event. Howell said McLarty never called her back or answered her calls, the mayor said Monday.

Palmer said she found out on Dec. 21 that McLarty never touched base with Howell. She did not write him up because the week of Christmas she was out and had out-of-town guests. The office was closed Dec. 24 and 25 and Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.  She wrote up what she was going to say Wednesday, Jan. 2 and then typed up the write-up Jan. 3 and asked him to come to her office.

Palmer’s son received a DUI from police officer Aikens, as stated in a letter from McLarty to the town’s Board of Aldermen explaining his side of what happened. The Panolian was sent a copy of the letter.

The son, who was not named in the report, was stopped by police and warned earlier in the night and then released to go home. Then the son was spotted driving later and given a DUI charge.

“I advised Officer Aikens to treat him like anybody else,” McLarty wrote. This was at 1:23 a.m. on December 23. “On December 23 at around 3 a.m., the Mayor contacted me and advised me that Officer Aikens violated policy and she wanted  charges dropped and Officer Aikens fired.”

The letter from McLarty said the mayor and her son came to the department and was allowed to see the video of  the second stop that caused the DUI.

McLarty said after he refused to let the mayor see the video of the first stop in which her son was not ticketed. The mayor called him to her office Jan. 3 and presented him with a write up. The write-up was for not having enough police at the  Dec. 15 event which was a toys and bike giveaway sponsored by the Gifts of Love program.

There were no policemen at the event at the beginning, but the chief sent some officers after he was called and requested. There were no problems with crowds at the Gifts of Love, the police were there just for help with parking and organizing.

McLarty said he refused to sign the write-up after the mayor showed it to him. The aldermen did not have the item on their agenda, but Palmer said the board will discuss the matter in executive session.