Pike County police brutality complaint dismissed
MCCOMB, Miss. (AP) - A brutality complaint against a Pike County deputy for allegedly roughing up a teenager at the county fair last fall has been dismissed.
Judge Breland Hilburn Jr. - filling in for local judges, who recused themselves - issued the order this past week after a probable cause hearing. Hilburn said his job was to decide if there was sufficient reason for Buie to be charged and arrested.
"It is clear to the court that adequate probable cause does not exist for the court to issue a warrant for the deputy sheriff,"?Hilburn said.
The Enterprise-Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1ydbaUb ) the complaint was filed by Toshiba Lewis on behalf of her 16-year-old Jaquarius Lewis against Deputy Smithie Buie Jr.
The teenager said he and his godmother Dionne Burton were leaving the fairgrounds on Sept. 6 when "the police came up behind me and slammed me on the ground. He (Buie) hit me in the mouth with handcuffs."
"Then he grabbed my left hand and put the handcuffs on me and pulled me up," he said.
Lewis said Buie and Deputy Bena Williams took him to a patrol car, searched him then let him go.
Toshiba Lewis said when she asked Buie what happened, he told her to take it up with a judge.
Burton said she had decided to leave the fairgrounds because of a "disturbance."
Burton said she, Lewis and her two children were near the east gate when Buie, Williams and another officer grabbed Lewis.
"They snatched him from my arm and threw him on the ground," she said.
Officers put Burton in a squad car but let her go later without charging her.
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Information from: Enterprise-Journal, http://www.enterprise-journal.com