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. 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 mayor in April fired Tarrant Fire Chief Jason Rickels, a month after Rickels was arrested in Georgia on assault and other charges after he allegedly pulled a gun on an Atlanta realtor and her photographer at a property he owns there. There was nothing about racism, nothing about me not hiring any blacks or anything. If you actually go and talk to most people that actually live here in the city, they actually like the things that Im doing.. Reno did not respond to repeated requests for comment for this story. 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. North Texas Interoperable Radio Network (NTIRN) Project 25 Phase II. Laura Horton, 73, who served on the city council for 20 years before losing her re-election bid in 2020, echoed Bryants assessment of Newton. And hopefully and once it works its way through the proper channels, those videos will be released to the public,' Newton said. Newton graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts, then earned a political science degree at the University of Pennsylvania and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. Oh yes, there's trouble, right here in Tarrant City, with a capital "T" that rhymes with "C" that stands for (racist) Conspiracy. Certainly, were glad to have him join us, Newton said. Deanna Taylor is one of those people. 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. 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. This is not true, and I fully expect to be exonerated., Asked for a response to the mayors statement, Reno last year said, I only worked for him for two hours. Bryant, who is white, also said his opposition to Newton has nothing to do with his race but rather stemmed from Newton trampling on the established ways of doing things and instilling a culture of fear among current and city employees because of his temper. When Tarrant returned to his car, Aziz threw the shotgun at it. He does not plan to resign as mayor even though he fired the former fire chief after he was arrested on an assault charge because he said his own charge is a misdemeanor, and the charge against the former fire chief involved felony charges and a firearm. He called the charges a political stunt to smear his name. Ever since Newton, 40, took office after winning his election in Tarrant, Alabamapopulation 7,000by nearly 40 percentage points last year, a small minority of mostly white residents and city leaders have had it out for him, he told The Daily Beast. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. It is like he thinks hes God and he rules this city, she said. Do you really think that I would say something like that at a public meeting?. And thats what Ive been doing, he said. Video of the November incident was released by the city attorney Thursday evening. Im more than qualified to be the mayor of Tarrant. 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. We have lived in the past, he said. But its the people that hold office in Tarrant thats keeping him from moving forward., She called out the longest-serving councilman, Tommy Bryant, in particular. 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. WI - Feb 07, 2023. In an interview, the mayor denied ever slamming the door on Renos arm. 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Country: United States Address 1: 2593 Commerce Cir City: Tarrant State: Alabama Zip Code: 35217-2352 County: Jefferson County Phone #: 205-849-2811 Fax #: 205-849-2807. At a certain point, I had to remind him that I was the mayor and kicked him out of my office, he told The Daily Beast. Laura Horton, 73, who served on the city council for 20 years before losing her re-election bid in 2020, echoed Bryants assessment of Newton. There has been discord in the city since Newton took office, and he says thats because some people are resistant to change. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Neither Rickels nor Steel responded to a request for comment for this story. 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. This type of conduct will not be tolerated, and employees that choose to engage in such behavior will be dealt with swiftly and severely.. Tarrant Police Department 2593 Commerce Cir Tarrant, AL 35217 205-849-2811 The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is the police department that serves the area, where Mike Hale is the sheriff. Ft Worth Tarrant County Texas Arrests, Warrants & Most Wanted. Those figures are only slightly higher than the 53 percent of the population Black folks make up, according to recent census records. The conversation evolved into a shouting match, Newton said. I was trying to piss him off to see if hed come after me, Bryant said. Staff Login X Share: Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on G+ Share with email. It is his goal to lead in an environment that fosters mutual respect and understanding, reflective of the professional standards expected from those he serves. He was charged with third-degree assault, a Class A misdemeanor. Find an Ordinance; Apply For a Job; Submit a Bid; Submit a Comment; . 4 were here. Jones, who currently serves as the chief of Baltimore County Police Department's Community Relations Bureau, was selected through a robust . Chief Perry Tarranthas has 34 years of law enforcement experience and is a retired captain with the Tucson Police Department and a past assistant chief of the Seattle Police Department. Police Department | Mansfield, TX Careers Records & Reports Jail Contact Us Animal Care & Control Compliments/ Complaints Stay Connected Police Newsroom & Events Police Events City Events March 2023 There are no published events in current month. 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. Job Opportunities Currently hiring APOST Certified Officers at jobsquest.org Click any thumbnail image to view a slideshow Police Contact Information Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Cold Cases, Missing and Unsolved Crimes. Im glad that we can finally put that behind me.. There were no black officers, said Newton. Reno said he goes to physical therapy twice a week because of the injury and may have to undergo surgery. All contents copyright 2021 Associated Press. He said the accusations about the supposed threats on Bryants life were not worth responding to. Asked how him being arrested for assault is different than the arrest of the former fire chief, Newton said, This is a misdemeanor. along with contact information, are available now on the wvt13m app. All rights reserved (About Us). Joel Kimbrough, who is white, has lived in Tarrant his whole life and owns a printing business there. Taylor, who does not buy the assault charge, said her boyfriend is Black, and that for many in the Black community, it has been an open secret that the Tarrant Police Department had no Black police officers and would routinely pull over Black drivers and find excuses to search their cars. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Phone: 817-249-1610. Reno denies the claim that he didnt want to hire black officers. But Reno said he has his own video of the incident and it shows the door being slammed on his elbow. The city of Tarrant does not have a police chief or a fire chief at this time. At a press conference held about his arrest, Newton said Reno was 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 blast struck Marshal Granger in the abdomen, killing him. Davis was one of about a dozen residents at City Hall Thursday to support the mayor. Video of alleged "assault" on former Tarrant Police chief, Newton surrendered to authorities Wednesday after retired Chief Dennis Reno swore out a warrant, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Reno left the chiefs job shortly after and officially retired Jan. 1, 2021, after 42 years in law enforcement. Citations. Freddie Rubio, the city attorney of Tarrant, declined to comment on any formal complaints of harassment against Mayor Newton, and did not respond to a subsequent request for comment about whether procedures had been followed in firing employees. Check the . The Ugly War Between a White Police Chief and a Black Mayor in the Deep South A TOWN DIVIDED Wayman Newton Tarrant, Alabama, has been gripped by a saga that some say reflects the rise of a. Its like now all hes doing is trying to oppose anything Mayor Newton is doing. Tarrant Mayor Wayman Newton has been found not guilty on charges of misdemeanor assault on the former police chief. We have lived in the past, he said. Since becoming mayor, Newton has vowed to clean up the city but he said he has faced pushback from the council, former community members as well as former city employees. Posted on Monday, November 23, 2020. Newton denied harassing any city employees. Newton said the opposition reached its apex last week, when Dennis Reno, the white former chief of police in Tarrant, accused the mayor of assaulting him during a conversation in Newton's. Two different standards for two different people, he said. I only worked for him for two hours. The Tarrant mayor claimed that Dennis Reno, the former Tarrant Police Chief, wouldnt hire black police officers and that disagreement led to the November altercation. Tarrant Mayor Wayman Newton has been found not guilty on charges of misdemeanor assault on the former police chief. A day after his arrest, Newman released video footage of the alleged assault. 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. The charge carries a bond of $1,000. Im fairly certain that once people had an opportunity to look at these videos, theyre going to know the truth., Again, Im not above the law and so this is a criminal matter and its going to work its way through the courts,' he said. brittany: weeks after a tarrant councilman used a racial slur during a city meeting, the town's first black police chief wendell major is announc.ed wvtm 13's brea douglas met with him and mayor wayman newton, who nominated major during a racially tense time in tarrant. The police department is short two officers, 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. elected in 2020 as the citys first Black mayor, assault and other charges after he allegedly pulled a gun on an Atlanta realtor, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The chief accused Newton, an attorney, of slamming a door on Reno. Newton, elected in 2020 as the city's first Black mayor,. All Current Year LODDs Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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.. My grandmother always used to say, The more things change, the more they stay the same, and unfortunately were starting to see the ugly head of the old Tarrant reared itself., Newton said there were no black officers on the force when he took office. What happened is that he wanted me to bring him, on a Tuesday, he wanted by Friday, every personnel file from the police department. TX - Nov 13, 2022. Newman was arrested again on Aug. 18, 2021, on the harassment charged obtained by Bryant. Reno on Friday said Newton released only part of the video. 2 Baths. Theyve been trying to do everything that they could possibly do to discredit me, and as theyve seen, Im not going anywhere,' he said. They went through a process with these three people and then they would come to me and recommend who they wanted me to hire. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. He said he cant comment on the case because of ongoing litigation.

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