A flower rests at the foot of the James Meredith statue as students make signs during protest.
Thomas Graning I The Daily Mississippian
University Police Department Chief Calvin Sellers said police “are extremely close to making an arrest” in the James Meredith statue vandalism case. The university announced Tuesday that FBI joined forces with UPD on the investigation.
“The FBI has been helping us with the case, and I can say that we are very close,” Sellers said Tuesday night. “I think it’s very possible that we make an arrest (Wednesday).”
Sellers could not disclose whether the suspects are students at Ole Miss.
He said that the charges against any arrested individuals will depend on what prosecutors suggest. FBI officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.
“At this point, we don’t know what the specific charges will be,” Sellers said. “We will take the advice of the local district attorney or federal prosecutors, depending on what they decide they want to prosecute.”
The Ole Miss Alumni Association offered a $25,000 reward Monday afternoon for any information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the vandalism. It is unclear whether the reward money has contributed to the progression of the investigation.
“(Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones) called me Monday and told me about the incident, and I was just so sickened,” Ole Miss Alumni Association Director Tim Walsh said Tuesday. “We wanted to do anything we could to support the university and bring justice to those responsible for this heinous act.”
Walsh said this is the first time the alumni association has offered a reward for a crime committed on campus.
Follow @thedm_news and theDMonline.com for any updates in the investigation.
