Newton said he helped solidify an internal affairs office to keep track of any alleged police misconduct. He never gave me a chance, he told AL.com of the mayor, adding that he had told Newton, I dont hire off race, I hire off qualifications.. In response, Bryant claimed that he called Newton little boy, and that Newton had been trying to instigate himand that he meant the comment only to turn the tide on the situation. Police | Tarrant, AL BREAKING: Tarrant Mayor arrested on assault charge, Finalists for Trussville BOE seat announced, Pinson council presents $60,000 check to schools, Springville softball blow out Pelham, continue dominant season, Obituary: Myra Carroll (August 22, 1937 February 23, 2023), Obituary: Sherry Webster Zorn (August 21, 1948 February 22, 2023), Obituary: Joy Silvey (August 2, 1932 February 26, 2023), Obituary: Grace Mixon (March 6, 1935 February 25, 2023), TCS hires new Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, Former local TV anchors appear in PSA for COVID vaccinations, Trussville Police respond to 2 fights at Hewitt-Trussville High School today. 2593 Commerce Circle. The police that I referred to that Mr. Reno had in place was simple and to quote him exactly, I dont hire black officers because black officers dont like to police their own., He said several police officers have left the department since he took office, in part for higher-paying jobs elsewhere and in part to what he said was a concerted effort by former employees to hurt the city and to ultimately hurt my administration.. In fact, I take those obstacles and I take their attempts to discredit me as motivation to keep going forward.. Neither Rickels nor Steel responded to a request for comment for this story. I was trying to piss him off to see if hed come after me, Bryant said. Tarrant County, Texas (TX) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Benbrook City Council. Newton said Reno told him that he didnt hire Black officers because Black officers dont like to police their own.. But he told The Daily Beast that the police department employs 18 officers. For his part, Reno denied any pattern of discriminatory hiring. The charge comes after former Police Chief Dennis Reno claimed that Newton slammed a door on him shortly after he was put into office. Because thats the only thing he can come up with.. (Jefferson County Jail). Mayor Newton is trying hard for the citizens of Tarrant, she said. The visits at Tarrant City Jail take place on Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm. . 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. He described one meeting a few months back where he said Newton tried to instigate a fight with him. I wasnt shocked because I knew I didnt do any of the stuff they accused me of doing, Newton said Wednesday. Theyve blocked him from making what he and some locals describe as needed changes to the police department in a city mostly comprised of Black and Latino residents, he said. Reno retired on Jan. 1 after more than four decades of police work. Bryant also blamed the mayor for firing people without the input of other city officials, such as when he axed Jason Rickels, the former fire department chief in Tarrant, after Rickels was arrested in Georgia in March. Newton, the first black mayor of the mostly Black Birmingham suburb of 6,400 people, said there were no Black people on the police force when he became mayor. The alleged assault happened on Election Day Nov. 3, 2020, when the two got into a verbal dispute. TARRANT Former Tarrant Police Chief Dennis Reno responded Thursday to a press conference held by Mayor Wayman Newton earlier in the day. When he was released, the young mayor posted security-camera videos on Facebook that appear to show Reno leaving the mayors office and calmly closing the door on his way out. He supports Newton, does not believe the assault claim, and said he believes the real issue has to do with the changing demographics of the city over the past 30 years, which is now largely minority but was once predominantly white. Tarrant City Jail Inmate Search and Prison Information - McGehee, Arkansas He said the accusations about the supposed threats on Bryants life were not worth responding to. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. TARRANT, Ala. (AP) A Black Alabama mayor accused of assault by the citys white former police chief claimed Thursday that the two got into a dispute because the chief wouldnt hire black officers. We appreciate the community's help in keeping everyone safe. Although the numbers dont tell a damning tale, Newton said, Tarrant historically has had a problem.. City Council | Tarrant, AL That has done a tremendous amount of damage to the city, because no one has had their eye on the future.. He can look and see what it could be without the historical hindsight of what it was, he said. We strive to maintain our citizens' trust and confidence in their Police Department by maintaining a high degree of integrity and professionalism among all Police employees. Tarrant mayor releases videos after former police chief alleges assault Do you really think that I would say something like that at a public meeting?. Police Director Search - City of Memphis Newton only acknowledged using foul language one time in private with Bryant, after he said the councilman called him boy. If you know anything about the history of the South and race relations, to have some 75-year-old man calling a 40-year-old Black man a boy is very insulting, Newton said. Alabama Tarrant City Councilman Tommy Bryant Charged for Attacking Pembroke Pines Police Department. McKeesport Police Department. City Ordinances. Were not in the 50s anymore. Reno did not respond to repeated requests for comment for this story. He explained his version of the events during a phone call with The Tribune. Tarrant Mayor Wayman Newton has been found not guilty on charges of misdemeanor assault on the former police chief. Robin Davis, spokeswoman for. Major could be sworn in as early as Sept. 2. The mayor said he will address the warrant at a press conference at 10 a.m. Thursday. Were in 2021 and its time for everybody to come together and work together to make this a great city., Hes going to make it. But he told The Daily Beast that the police department employs 18 officers. The two divisions within the Department, Administrative Services and Operational Services, provide numerous specialized public safety services to the citizens of Hurst. Perry Tarrant has 34 years of law enforcement experience with the Tucson Police Department. Theyve been trying to do everything that they could possibly do to discredit me, and as theyve seen, Im not going anywhere,' he said. Tarrant City Police Department - Tarrant, Alabama. Alabama News Network Staff. When Wayman Newton found out last week about the warrant for his arrest in the town that elected him its first Black mayor, he wasnt surprised. Newton, elected in 2020 as the citys first Black mayor, was arrested June 16, 2021, on the third-degree assault lodged by former police Chief Dennis Reno. The councilman went on to say longtime city employees were in a hostile situation under Newtons leadership, and accused the mayor of harassing multiple employees, including himself. He supports Newton, does not believe the assault claim, and said he believes the real issue has to do with the changing demographics of the city over the past 30 years, which is now largely minority but was once predominantly white. Other videos, apparently from the next day, show him using the left arm he allegedly injured to carry files and climb out of his pickup truck. A day after his arrest, Newman released video footage of the alleged assault. Those figures are only slightly higher than the 53 percent of the population Black folks make up, according to recent census records. Coming on the heels of a year of racial justice protests, literal dismantling of Confederate monuments, and calls for police reform, the bizarre, small-town, Deep South saga either reflects the rise of a ruthless politician one rival likened to Adolf Hitler, or the last gasp of a white power structure that wont let go. I actually question the legitimacy of those numbers like I question the legitimacy of the hiring practices of the previous police chief, he added. Tarrant City Police Department - Tarrant, Alabama Tarrant Police Department | Tarrant City AL Other videos, apparently from the next day, show him using the left arm he allegedly injured to carry files and climb out of his pickup truck. For example, he said, the firing of Rickels is something that he didnt need approval for. He called himself the CEO of the city, and said Bryant and others have unfortunately been put off by the new structure hes installed. along with contact information, are available now on the wvt13m app. Tarrant FD fires chief who was arrested in Georgia after - CBS 42 He said four of those officers are Black, and that all were hired after Reno resigned from his position as chief of police on Jan. 1. My election kind of represented a transition from the old guard to the new, Newton told The Daily Beast. Newton only acknowledged using foul language one time in private with Bryant, after he said the councilman called him boy. If you know anything about the history of the South and race relations, to have some 75-year-old man calling a 40-year-old Black man a boy is very insulting, Newton said. Newton late Thursday night posted a series of videos on Facebook, including the one of the alleged assault and others that showed Reno carrying out various activities using his injured arm. Two different standards for two different people, he said. Mayor of Tarrant Says Former Police Chief Refused to Hire Black Ill take a voice stress analysist and a polygraph with the person of his (Newtons) choosing. Send it to The Daily Beasthere. City of Memphis releases list of finalists for new police director When he was released, the young mayor posted security-camera videos on Facebook that appear to show Reno leaving the mayors office and calmly closing the door on his way out. According to jail records, Newton turned himself into the Jefferson County Jail at 4:09 p.m. Meanwhile, white drivers made up about 30 percent of stops in 2019, and 27 percent of stops in 2020, numbers that are a bit lower than their 34 percent share of the population. Reno said he hired black officers during his time at Tarrant and said those officers had left the department to go to bigger cities and make more money. Wendell Major has been chosen as the first Black police chief in Tarrant. Newton called the assault chargein connection with an argument that happened seven months agoa stunt, while Reno has claimed Newton is only releasing part of the footage. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. All contents copyright 2021 Associated Press. Its people like him that every time theyre wrong they start playing the race card, Reno added. He accused Newton of failing to fill important vacant positions in the city, like the city clerk and the chief of police. At a later press conference, Newton said Reno was unwilling to stop the discriminatory practice of not hiring African American officers, which under my administration is unacceptable., There was a verbal disagreement about this between myself and Mr. Reno in my office on November 3, 2020, in which Mr. Reno is alleging that I slammed his arm in a door, Newton said. The problem is, the four individuals on the council, they know their time is up, Newton said. Jason Rickles was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, second-degree criminal damage to property and possession of a deadly weapon after an incident in Roswell, Ga. on March 12. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He even claimed that he wore a bulletproof vest to council meetings a few times because he feared for his safety. The conversation evolved into a shouting match, Newton said. The Ugly War Between a White Police Chief and a Black Mayor in the Deep Newton said he feels he represents all of the people that want to change the city.