The University Police Department had big plans for increased security at the home football game against Louisiana State University on Saturday, Nov. 21. They followed through on those plans with additional officers, metal detector wands at the entrance gates and special attention paid to those using student ID tickets.
“We were very happy with both the added security from the stadium security personnel as well as the law enforcement personnel,” UPD Chief Tim Potts said.
The University hires additional temporary officers during football season to help with security measures. The temporary officers are brought to campus from other police departments.
“When you’re working an event with 80 to 100 officers and you have a limit of people you can use from your department, you have to go where the people are,” Potts said. “These are all certified officers where their chief or sheriffs allow them to come over and work part time for the University.”
Potts said officers from all over north Mississippi come to help with games, from Batesville to Southaven to Tupelo.
UPD began investigating the incident soon after it happened, and has reached out to the local FBI office for help.
“I mean, when I looked at this case, no matter what UPD would have decided, the public would have been skeptical of whatever decision we made,” Potts said. “I think we owed it to our community, to the public, to bring in an independent entity to be able to look at the incident. Right, wrong or indifferent, we owe that to the community, and that’s what we did.”
Potts said UPD is still investigating the altercation and arrest at the LSU game, but sought a different perspective from the FBI.
“We look at it from an administrative standpoint, as far as an employee,” Potts said. “We’ve asked the FBI to look at it bigger picture.”
Since the investigation is still ongoing, neither the UPD nor FBI would comment on details of the altercation.
“The only thing we can say about this matter, because it’s still ongoing, is that the FBI continues to collect facts in this case and will work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oxford to determine the appropriate course of action,” Jason Pack, supervisory special agent from the FBI’s Jackson office said.
Barnes has been charged with a felony of assaulting a police officer and three misdemeanors including resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public intoxication.
Barnes is planning to plead “not guilty” to these charges, according to his attorney, David Pool. The officer in the video is on paid administrative leave pending the investigation.
-Lana Ferguson
