Video: Officer Accused of Lying In Police Report

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VERNON, Miss. (WCBI) – A police report almost lands a Vernon, Alabama man in jail for 10 years. Now the man says he wants something done to protect others.

With out this I would be sitting in jail. More than likely I would be sitting in jail because of one officers testimony that was a lie.

On February 22nd, Jamison Carr was accused of trying to kill another man with his truck. But thanks to some quick thinking and a little technology, he eventually was cleared.

Attorney Daniel Boman says, “This was one that I was really worried about because I knew that if he were found guilty of this he was looking at 10 years in prison.”

Carr had a running dispute with a man named Redus Sessum. Last February, Carr was washing his truck at this local car wash when Sessum confronted him. Vernon Police eventually were called. That’s where Carr says his trouble began when he says an officer wrote down false information in a report.

“He accused me of trying to run over and kill Redus Sissum and he put in his police report that I tried to run over Redus and that I wanted to kill Redus.”

Carr at first was charged with second degree assault. The grand jury upgraded that to attempted murder. But because he’d been worried about some kind of confrontation, Carr videotaped the incident.

(Video Transcription) (Carr’s Voice) He got in front of my truck to try and block me and that’s when I drove past.  (Cops Voice)You should have just got out. Yall are going to have to fight this out and get this over with. (Carr’s Voice) I don’t know, If I get out I’m going to kill him and call it self defense, that’s all it’s going to be.

The report in question came from Vernon Police Officer Brandon Stephens, who is still on the force.

The officer didn’t know about the videotape. When confronted with it at trial last week, he admitted his report wasn’t accurate. Carr was found not guilty. I left messages for Officer Stephens and Police Chief Ted Collins but didn’t hear back. Mayor Dupree Pennington said the city hasn’t taken any action. Carr and his lawyer say changes need to be made.

According to Carr, “Most folks are not going to have a video to video this instance. And in a court of law they are going to believe the officer 90% of the time. You’re trusting law enforcement to come out and make a bias statement and not pick sides, which was not done.”

Carr says, he plans to pursue civil action against the department.  And other city officials we spoke with said the issue might come up in early November.