- Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office says two officers lied about cause of crash that injured five.
- Evidence shows the civilian was stopped at the intersection, not pulling out as police claimed.
- Officer previously arrested for DUI; the city is bracing for a lawsuit as council reviews findings.
Police have an incredibly tough job to do, and sometimes citizens make that job even harder. They speed, they go too slow, and sometimes they just get in the way. That’s what a pair of officers said happened after they rolled their police car while responding to an emergency. Now, an extensive review by local authorities says that those officers were wrong.
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Read: Sheriff Says Ram Lied About Bull Theft And He’s Not Laughing
On July 16, two officers were racing to the local police station in Columbus, Mississippi. As they went over a set of train tracks, the driver, Officer Jeremy Harris, lost control and hit both an innocent motorist and a telephone pole. That’s now the official story, but it took the mayor getting involved to find that out.
Conflicting Accounts
According to the Dispatch, the officers both blamed the other motorist. They claimed that the other driver pulled out in front of them. “They basically just shot out in front of me,” Harris said. “I guess they thought they were going to beat me, and I … got over that hump. And after that, I don’t know.”
That footage, along with event data recorder information, witness statements, and more, has proven that statement false. It indicates that Harris was driving at 77 mph (124 km/h) in a 30 mph (48 km/h) zone when he lost control and crashed.
In addition, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office believes that the other driver was completely stationary and on a cross street during the crash. That vehicle had five people in it: Devion Bankhead, the driver, two other adults, a 15-year-old, and a 4-year-old. They all survived, albeit some with injuries.
Bankhead himself went to the hospital with a brain bleed. It’s worth noting that from a legal standpoint, he shouldn’t have been behind the wheel at all, as he was cited for not having a driver’s license or insurance.
That said, it certainly doesn’t excuse the reckless driving behavior and inaccurate account of Harris, who was reportedly charged with DUI in mid-2024. Considering how tough it is to be a police officer these days, it seems like Harris just made it worse for himself and other officers who are trying to build a trustworthy reputation.
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Credit: The Dispatch
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