As the curses kept coming, the charges kept adding up.
A Sidon man’s foul-mouthed tirade during a traffic stop and arrest Saturday night landed him a slew of charges, including nearly a dozen counts of public profanity.
Cornelius Crigler, 25, 109 Ware St., Sidon, remained in the Leflore County Jail this morning, charged with 11 counts of public profanity in addition to charges of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, simple assault to create fear, playing excessively loud music, no liability insurance, littering and drunken driving.
Crigler was pulled over by Greenwood police officers shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday night at the corner of Walthall and Johnson streets.
According to Greenwood Assistant Police Chief Marvin Hammond Sr., Crigler was “highly intoxicated” and struggled with officers, at one point telling an officer he’d “beat his a**.”
Hammond said that the belligerent driver pulled away from officers as they attempted to arrest him, acted aggressively and even wrestled with officers.
As officers brought Crigler under control, they also warned him repeatedly to quit cursing, Hammond said. When the profanity continued, officers started counting the curses and adding onto the charges against Crigler.
“He constantly cursed in different phases of his arrest,” said Hammond. “They charged him every time he cursed after he was told not to.”
When asked how officers distinguish between separate counts of public profanity — a charge that carries a maximum fine of $100 — Hammond said each repeated instance of profanity after being warned to stop would count against him.
“It’s when you use profanity and you’ve been told to stop, you turn around and do it again,” Hammond said.
