Sheriff Payne Statement

SHERIFF GEORGE PAYNE STATEMENT
March 9, 2006

“As soon as I learned of the tragic incident involving Jesse Williams at the Harrison County jail, I contacted the District Attorney’s office, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the FBI and asked for a thorough independent investigation. I gave these agencies the video recording of the incident and a list of all officers on duty that night. I also ordered all personnel to cooperate fully with investigators.

“Right now, very little official information is being made public by these law enforcement agencies so that their investigation will not be compromised in any way. Everyone wants to see the videotape recordings of the incident, but U.S. Attorney Dun Lampton has the original recording and has asked me not to release any copies I may have. I can appreciate how frustrating this must be for the Williams family and the general public, but I ask everyone to please understand that this is the correct protocol to be followed if justice is to be served.

“I can announce today that the individual who is the target of the investigation is no longer employed by the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department. I’m not prepared to discuss any other administrative actions concerning any other employees at this time.

“The family of Jesse Williams and the citizens of Harrison County have every right to know all the facts concerning what happened that night. After the state and federal investigation is completed, I’m confident these facts and the video recordings will be presented to a grand jury for appropriate action and subsequently be released to the public.

“The video cameras and recording equipment in the booking area of the jail are there as a deterrent to the mistreatment of people in custody and as a true record of events surrounding accusations of officer misconduct. It is just one of the improvements we’ve made to the jail in recent years and one of the reasons we’re the only accredited county jail in Mississippi

“We have nothing to hide at Harrison County’s jail. So, today, I’m announcing that we will install live web cameras in the booking area of the jail that can be accessed twenty-four hours a day by anyone that can access the Internet. That means anybody at anytime can view what’s happening in the booking area of the Harrison County jail.

“On a personal note, I want to express my sympathy for the family of Jesse Williams and my sincere regret for the remarks I made concerning their loved one’s possibly being under the influence of drugs. That information was reported to me over the phone and was obviously incorrect. Like the events of that tragic evening, if I could take my words back, I would.”