June 23, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
Tempers flared during Monday night’s county commission meeting between local attorney Sarah Cripps and Sheriff Patrick Ray.
Tempers Flare at County Commission Meeting from dwayne page on Vimeo.
Cripps is upset with the Sheriff , the Smithville Police Department, and the E911 Center, over an incident earlier this month in which she claims her life and the lives of others including Judge Bratten Cook, II were threatened and that these departments failed to promptly respond. She is asking the county commission to “appoint a community policing oversight board to investigate and conduct public hearings into the mismanagement and dereliction of duty of Sheriff Ray”.
Cripps plans to address her grievance against the Smithville Police Department with the Mayor and Aldermen at their next regular meeting in July.
According to Cripps, she got no help from the city and county law enforcement departments on Tuesday, June 9 after being threatened by a woman she was appointed to represent in a Department of Children Services matter. But Sheriff Ray told the county commission Monday night that Cripps’ complaints against him are politically motivated and that Cripps has misrepresented portions of her story as to what happened on June 9.
According to both Sheriff Ray and Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins, the woman who made the threats against Cripps, Judge Cook, and two DCS case workers, 23 year old Kathleen Nichole Thomas of Meadowbrook Drive was taken into custody later that same day (June 9) and remains in jail today.
Thomas is charged with retaliation of a past action and she appeared by video arraignment in General Sessions Court last Thursday. The District Public Defender’s Office has reportedly been appointed to represent her and a special judge will be assigned to hear the case going forward in the General Sessions Court instead of Judge Cook.
The arrest warrant taken by Smithville Police Officer Andy Snow states that “On June 9 at 11:04 a.m. I met the Department of Children’s Services at 236 Meadowbrook Drive for them do to a home visit. With DCS was Olivia Southard and Angie Brown. Local attorney Sarah Cripps was also there because she had been appointed in the DCS case. Upon arrival, we made contact with Kathleen Thomas. Ms. Thomas was informed that DCS was wanting to do a home visit before her next court date which was June 10. Ms Thomas refused to let anyone in her house and became very irate. She began arguing with Ms. Southard, Ms. Brown, and Ms. Cripps. Ms. Thomas did make threats to them and General Sessions Judge Bratten Hale Cook, II and local attorney Brandon Cox. Ms. Thomas threatened to have someone from Nashville come down here and “put a bullet between their eyes”.
In the police report, Officer Snow stated that “Ms Thomas made these threats several times. Ms. Thomas was so irate that she was spitting as she was yelling. Ms. Southard, Ms. Brown, Ms. Cripps, and myself left the residence. At approximately 12:24 p.m. Chief Collins, Sergeant Lance Dillard, Patrolman Tyler Patterson, and myself returned to 236 Meadowbrook Drive and spoke with Ms. Thomas. Chief Collins explained what concerns he had with what had happened earlier in the day. Ms Thomas voluntarily consented to be taken to Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital for a mental evaluation. Ms. Thomas was transported to Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital. While at the hospital, Ms Thomas did tell the ER doctor that she would get someone to “blow their heads off” and crisis was notified. Hospital staff advised that they did not have anywhere for Ms. Thomas to go to wait for crisis to come evaluate her. Ms. Thomas was then transported to the Smithville Police Department to wait for crisis. Crisis did make contact with Ms. Thomas by phone. The District Attorney’s office was also contacted about this incident”.
Cripps first addressed the County Commission with her complaints during an all-committees meeting Thursday night and later requested to be heard again during the regular monthly meeting Monday night. After initially being granted the request, Cripps said she was later informed that she would not be allowed to speak. As the meeting was about to adjourn Monday night, First District County Commissioner Dennis Slager moved that Cripps be allowed to speak for 10 minutes. After an amendment failed to cut her time to 3 minutes, Cripps was permitted by the commission to proceed for 10 minutes
“I come here because I don’t feel safe. I am not being protected by my sheriff and no other citizen is safe. I am asking that a community policing oversight board be appointed and that there be members from the county commission, city council, and citizen members to investigate and conduct public hearings into the mismanagement and dereliction of duty of Sheriff Patrick Ray. I am also asking for an Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator, similar to what we have in the courthouse, and that our jail be required to appoint one because we don’t have one. In the past I was told I could be arrested for using my braille computer. I contacted Sheriff Ray and he confirmed that was the policy that I must write in ink. I am congenitally blind and cannot avail myself of that avenue. I am asking for a fact finding body that has continuing oversight over our sheriff’s office because Sheriff Ray has strayed from the tenants of protecting and securing,” said Cripps.
She then went into detail about what occurred before and during June 9.
“Judge Cook entered an order in the Juvenile Court on May 14 requiring law enforcement to accompany me and two other women (DCS case workers), Olivia Norton Southard and her supervisor to a woman’s (Thomas’) home. On Tuesday, June 9 we undertook to execute this order. A city police officer, Andy Snow accompanied us. He (Officer Snow) did nothing. At this home on June 9, the lady repeatedly threatened to kill me, to kill Judge Cook, and to kill the ladies who were with me. I have it on video. When we received these threats Officer Andy Snow never took it upon himself to assist us. He stood back at a safe distance to make sure nothing would hurt him,” said Cripps.
“Then we went to the sheriff’s office. While I was enroute I said I need to call Judge Cook. I called him twice. I texted him saying secure your premises and conduct yourself accordingly because we have a credible threat of harm to you. Secure yourself. I arrived at the sheriff’s office and went to the front desk and was asked Ms. Cripps what can we do for you. The front desk was improperly staffed with a cook the day I went. At that time I asked to see a detective because of a credible threat of harm. They asked me do you have an appointment. I replied no I don’t. The lady at the front desk then said she could call 911 but she called the regular dispatch line and I reported my credible threat of harm to them,” said Cripps.
“E911 never warned Judge Cook. This has been a systemic failure that could have resulted in the death of several citizens. E911 never gave notice to anyone of a credible threat of harm. No one stationed an officer at Judge Cook’s home or at his office. He was sitting in his office with the doors locked because I had taken it upon myself to make sure our judge was safe although the sheriff didn’t care whether I was safe,” Cripps continued.
“After I had gone to the sheriff’s office I went to the city and met with Mr. Collins and was told by Officer Tyler Patterson, we will go talk to this lady (Thomas). That is all my life was worth was a talk,” she said.
“When we went to Judge Cook’s office he had his secretary call the jail and ask for the TBI phone number. The woman at the front desk told her “your best bet is to google it”. Judge Cook was incredulous so he called back and got the same response. He was told we don’t have that number,” said Cripps.
“In 2019 this commission gave Sheriff Ray additional monies to fund two full time employees, whose sole purpose it was and whose reason for being it was to provide protection for court personnel and to provide security for our courtrooms,” said Cripps.
“I am asking that rules and regulations be promulgated by you (county commission) so that judges, attorneys, and courtroom personnel know when we can avail ourselves to the protection of the sheriff’s department in a county building or while we are on business assigned to us by the county General Sessions Judge”.
“I am also asking for the oversight board because the sheriff is running the show and he is accountable to no one. As Judge Cook has stated, the only person who warned me was Sarah Cripps. So the blind lawyer defended the two case workers and warned the judge without any help from the city, county, or from our E911 Center. It is abominable. It is frightening. The citizens of this county should beware that they don’t need to look for protection from the sheriff. For all of these reasons and for the reason I was told that I could not bring a computer into the jail without being arrested, I am asking for an ADA coordinator to assist attorneys needing things and can’t get reasonable accommodations,” added Cripps.
At the Thursday night workshop, Cripps ended her remarks by saying “you (county commission) have a very serious problem in your sheriff’s office. I don’t know the solution but I can identify a problem and you have a terrific one. I am asking you to take reforms wherever they may be so that nobody else has to endure what I had to endure on June 9. I am very unhappy and If I could opt out of funding that department I would,” she said.
After Cripps was finished Monday night, Commissioner Slager moved to adjourn the meeting but instead the commission voted to allow Sheriff’s department employee Amie Buchanan to respond to Cripps’ complaints.
Buchanan serves as a cook at the jail but is cross trained in corrections and was on duty at the front desk the day Cripps arrived because other officers including detectives were out of the office serving grand jury sealed indictments.
“When they came in (Cripps and DCS workers) they told me they had been threatened and needed to speak to somebody. Our protocol says we pick up the phone and call dispatch because they have to keep documentation so I picked up the phone and I called dispatch and said I have someone who needs to speak to you and I handed her (Cripps) the phone. They (dispatch) told her it was a city issue and you will have to go to the police department. Cripps finished the call and then she actually told me “thank you”. I never told her to leave the building,” said Buchanan.
After Buchanan’s remarks, Commissioner Slager again moved to adjourn but the commission voted to allow Sheriff Ray to speak for 10 minutes. Slager then asked to speak for 10 minutes after Sheriff Ray.
“I sat and took a chewing from Ms Cripps last Thursday that no one should ever take especially at a county meeting. But what I am going to do tonight is what the people elected me for. To stand up here and act like a leader for you as being sheriff. I am going to say this with the utmost respect for Ms Cripps who talked about me like a dog last Thursday. Ms Cripps came to the Sheriff’s Department. I can’t speak for what the city police department did on Meadowbrook Drive. That is something she will have to take up with somebody else. She stayed in my office for three minutes and nineteen seconds. Most of that time she talked to dispatch and I want you to hear that conversation she had with dispatch. (Sheriff Ray later played the audio recording of the Cripps conversation with central dispatch). This is a county court meeting. This is not civil court. This county commission cannot pass judgment on me. It cannot pass judgment on Ms. Cripps. This commission is a funding body to every county official. They take care of my budget. They tell me what I can spend but they cannot tell me how to do my policies and procedures. I think there is some confusion with that. My policies, procedures, and protocols we do for a reason and one of them is what we are talking about with this three minutes and nineteen seconds. I reviewed our video (of Cripps’ visit to the jail) after I was told Ms Cripps had some kind of altercation at the sheriff’s department. I went back and looked at the tape. I tried to call Ms Cripps twice and I left my number for her to call me back because I heard that she was not happy. Ms. Cripps has a political problem with me. She does not like me. She wanted to come up here and have an audience last Thursday and then she wanted one tonight (Monday) where the citizens of this county could hear it on the radio. I am here to tell you that Ms. Cripps has a problem with me. No one from Ms Cripps’ office called and said she wanted to talk to me. I called her,” said Sheriff Ray.
“You want to talk about an oversight committee Ms Cripps, my oversight committee is the citizens of this county every four years. I get elected and try my best. I give 110% to every citizen here. For some reason Ms Cripps will not work with me on trying to resolve this issue so here we are tonight,” he continued.
In response to Cripps’ comments about two officers being funded last year for courtroom security, Sheriff Ray said “yes there were two officers assigned to the courts to work the courts while they were in session but they are not to control the courthouse or sit here five days a week while the courthouse is open and closed. They take care of our courts when they are in session. Mr. Slager who was on the budget committee last year told me and my Chief Deputy Robert Patrick that those court officers are to work court and when they are not in session they are yours to do what you want to with. This is nothing but a political game people,” he said.
“I am in total support of free speech but you are not going to set and beat me. I don’t think anybody on this county commission says they have ever seen me as mad as I am today. When you call me a liar or you accuse me of something I didn’t do I get very upset,” said Sheriff Ray.
The commission then adjourned without hearing from Slager.
After the meeting 911 Director Brad Mullinax, concerned about Cripps remarks related to central dispatch, emailed WJLE documents that show exactly when the calls were received and when they were dispatched. Those documents are posted at the links below.