A preliminary hearing will be held Wednesday to determine whether there is enough evidence to prosecute three men on aggravated assault charges brought by Tchula Police Chief Kenneth Hampton.
Kajarius Anderson, Aavon Coffer and Kamechie Coffer are charged with aggravated assault against Clarence Blue, a wheelchair-bound amputee who died May 19 at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at the Tchula Courthouse.
Blue had been brought to Greenwood Leflore Hospital from Tchula and then was airlifted to UMMC. A Mississippi State Crime Lab autopsy said the cause of death was a heart attack. But Hampton argued that Blue was beaten in the parking lot outside his home and left to die.
Hampton arrested the same three suspects and one other, a juvenile, on murder charges in late June. Those charges were dismissed by Judge Wesley Evans in Municipal Court in July for lack of probable cause.
Hampton’s initial pursuit of the suspects took place, in part, on the Tchula Police Department Facebook page through rants and threats issued by the chief. Hampton’s posts quickly went viral and have attracted national attention since they began in early summer.
When Hampton decided to press aggravated assault charges against Anderson and the Coffers, all cousins from Tchula, he continued his Facebook assault.
“Holmes County where the 1st MURDER’s FREE,” Hampton posted following the judge’s decision. “... today the 4 young men I arrested for the 2nd degree murder of Clarence Blue were set free due to lack of evidence and because the autopsy report said he died of a Hart Attact. I guess Charence Blue’s BLOOD SOAKED JEANS, BLOOD SOAKED T-SHIRT, BLOODY WHEEL CHAIR, a 3-FOOT PUDDLE OF BLOOD WITH LINE OF BLOOD FROM HIS CAR. Oooooh and let’s not even mention the video confessions. ...”
Hampton went on to say that a “law man” lied on the stand about Blue’s last words.
Charges against the accused were dismissed without prejudice, meaning the matter could continue to be investigated and litigated. At the time, Hampton said that the same suspects were charged earlier this year with breaking and entering in a home invasion involving an 87-year-old Tchula man and that those cases were still pending.
Hampton re-arrested three of the original four suspects in September and October, going so far as to pursue one all the way to Waterloo, Iowa. Police in Iowa apprehended the suspect, and Hampton picked him up and drove him back to the Leflore County Jail.
Bond was set at $10,000 for all three suspects.
Recently, Mississippi News Now reported the families of the three men are outraged at Hampton’s methods and his persistent pursuit in the case. They have hired Dennis C. Sweet III of Sweet & Associates law firm of Jackson to defend the three accused at the preliminary hearing.
A letter dated Oct. 20 from Sweet & Associates requests all posts from the Tchula Police Department Facebook page and all social media surrounding the case be handed over to the defense prior to the hearing.
Hampton responded to that request this way: “A Request for discovery for a Preliminary Hearing?!! Really, what is this, Amarture hour at the Apollo? Of maybe they think I’m BOO BOO the Fool. ... There’s no need to request my evidence if they’re telling the truth. But don’t worry the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth will be known soon enough.”
On Monday, the Facebook page previously known as Tchula Police Department took a new name: New Southern Justice. Hampton announced the new page will be a “no holds barred, Anti Political, In your face and somewhat entertaining Blog Focusing on Criminals and Criminal Activity.”
That post was signed:
“Kenneth Hampton
Either Lead, Follow or get the hell out of my way!!”
• Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.
The original version of this article incorrectly reported the court in which Tchula Municipal Court Judge Wesley Evans presides.
