news-record.com

The City Council will hold a special meeting at 4 p.m. Thursday to discuss whether to release more information about the nature of the allegations against the three officers suspended pending an assault investigation.

On Tuesday, the police department suspended three officers with pay: Sgt. A.S. Wallace, 43; Officer J.O. LeGrand, 37; and Officer C.S. Stevens, 42. The department says there is a criminal and administrative investigations.

The city says details of the alleged assault - including the date, time, location and nature of the alleged assault - are protected under personnel laws because of the administrative investigation. The News & Record disagrees.

But state statutes allow the council to vote to override that rule if the information is in the best interest of the public.

The News & Record is in the process of asking council members whether they will ask City Manager Mitchell Johnson to release more information about the case:

Mayor Yvonne Johnson: Yes. "I would ask him to release everything that is legal. I don't want us to violate any state personnel laws. I don't want us to be sued. Everything we possibly can release, I want released. I can tell you that without a doubt."

Councilman Mike Barber: Yes. "Any elected official who genuinely cares about their oath wants the public informed." He also said the council has passed the point to discussing whether releasing information is the right thing to do. "We continue to struggle with the same issue over and over, but the bigger question is how can we correct our inability to community properly?"

Councilwoman Sandra Anderson Groat: Yes, because restoring the public's trust in elected officials should be a top priority. "We need to release as much information as we can without jeopardizing fair treatment" of the three officers.

Councilman Robbie Perkins: No, because this is a situation that is being dealt with in a timely fashion. "It is not appropriate for us to govern by knee-jerk reaction. I don't see any need" to release the information.

Councilwoman Mary Rakestraw: Yes. "I want to release all the information that we legally can. I don't want to release information that will screw up the court case, but people on the streets seem to know more about this than I do - and not because I'm not trying."

Councilwoman Goldie Wells: No, because the city's legal department said it shouldn't be released. "I can understand people wanting to know, but it needs to be investigated."

Councilman Zack Matheny: Isn't sure how he would vote. "I don't even know what (the officers) have allegedly done. It's in Internal Affairs. But I would like to get the information out sooner rather than later."

Councilwomen T. Dianne Bellamy-Small and Trudy Wade hadn't returned calls seeking comment as of 9 p.m. Friday.

Contact Margaret Moffett Banks at 373-7031 or margaret.banks@news-record.com