BREAKING – CPD Details Criminal Investigation Of Jack’s Incident

COLUMBUS (WCBI)

BELOW IS THE COLUMBUS POLICE RELEASE ON JACK’S RESTAURANT CASE

The Columbus Police Department has opened a criminal investigation regarding the alleged preparation and serving of tainted food at Jack’s restaurant in Columbus late last week.

The alleged incident occurred on the evening of January 7 at the restaurant on Highway 45 North. A Facebook post by a Columbus resident said an employee of the restaurant prepared and served food to which she purposely had applied her own menstrual blood. Columbus Police Chief Oscar Lewis and Captain Brent Swan of the Investigation Division of CPD, met with Mayor Robert Smith and City Attorney Jeff Turnage late Friday morning concerning the case. Lewis and Swan had already begun gathering facts on the case, but determined Friday morning to proceed with an official criminal investigation. “There has been a lot of information on this case out in social media already,” said Lewis. “We have had to sift through to determine what was fact and what was not. At this point, we know enough to open an official case and that is what we are doing today,” he said. Lewis said the victim that received the allegedly tainted food contacted him late Thursday and Lewis is preparing a report on that information. The victim is from Tupelo. The Mississippi State Department of Health has also conducted an inspection and discussions between them and the Columbus police investigators have occurred regarding the findings. Lewis said it’s very early in the case and right now it’s too early to make any specific comments on the case. “We will work this as we do other cases and find the facts after talking to those that were involved,” Lewis said. Columbus Mayor Robert Smith said the case needed to be open. “I’m glad a case has been opened on this incident to see exactly what happened,” Smith said. “There are laws relating to tampering with food and this is a serious issue. I see it as an issue of public safety and I look forward to seeing the results of the investigation.”