Mayor's office looking at allegations against police chief - FOX10 News | WALA

Mayor's office looking at allegations against police chief

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Chief James Barber: Photo: FOX10 News Chief James Barber: Photo: FOX10 News
City Council member Fred Richardson told FOX10 News that the complaint against Police Chief James Barber was made by Kenneth Padgett, who was arrested Tuesday on a burglary charge. Photo: MCSO City Council member Fred Richardson told FOX10 News that the complaint against Police Chief James Barber was made by Kenneth Padgett, who was arrested Tuesday on a burglary charge. Photo: MCSO
MOBILE, AL (WALA) -

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said his office is investigating allegations against Mobile Police Chief James Barber.

The allegation stated Barber unlawfully pulled a gun on a constituent of City Councilman Fred Richardson. The complaint was brought to the mayor's attention by Richardson. 

Richardson told FOX10 News that the complaint against Barber was made by Kenneth Padgett, who was arrested Tuesday on a burglary charge.

Richardson says Padgett’s main complaint is that Barber was not wearing a body camera at the time of the incident.

Chief Barber released the following statement in response to the allegation:

“I am as perplexed as I am dismayed that I even have to deviate from my schedule to respond to such nonsense.  The serious business concerning the safety of this city is my priority and I will not cancel the meetings scheduled this afternoon to entertain this ridiculous allegation.”  

The mayor's office released this statement:

"Today, the Mayor’s Office received correspondence from Councilman Fred Richardson sharing a constituent’s allegation that Mobile Police Chief James Barber unlawfully pulled a gun on the constituent earlier this week.  The Mayor’s Office takes these allegations very seriously and is looking into the details at this time."

According to a statement by Richardson this afternoon, it was his intention to get to the bottom of this allegation swiftly.

“A constituent reached out to me this morning with a serious allegation concerning Mobile Police Chief James Barber. I passed it on to the Mayor and his office and urged them to look into the incident. Upon receiving the information I sent him, the Mayor’s office shared it with the media. I had hoped that we would be able to get to the bottom of it very quickly by the appropriate authorities simply getting the body camera video of the incident and I still do.”

We will continue to update this script with information as it becomes available. 

All content © 2016, WALA; Mobile, AL. (A Meredith Corporation Station). All Rights Reserved.


 

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