Tuesday, March 8, 2016, 1:10 pm News Flash Archive

The Taxpayers Channel has obtained a copy of the criminal affidavit filed against Greenwood political activist and businessman Jelani Barr. The complaining witness is Greenwood Police Officer Jamell Calhoun.

The affidavit may be seen here: Affidavit of Police Officer Jamell Calhoun

The Taxpayers Channel first reported on Barr's arrest earlier this morning: Jelani Barr Arrested for Facebook Post

The affidavit was purportedly executed on February 11, 2016, but has a date stamp at the top of February 24th. It is unknown why it took over 3 weeks before the arrest warrant was issued last Thursday.

In the affidavit, Officer Calhoun, a 23 year old patrolman with the Greenwood Police Department, accuses Barr of "posting a message or picture with the purpose of causing injury." The affidavit is not executed by Calhoun in his official capacity, but is apparently related to Facebook posts by Barr containing embarrassing information about Calhoun.

Barr is charged under Mississippi Code Section 97-45-17, which reads:

(1) A person shall not post a message for the purpose of causing injury to any person through the use of any medium of communication, including the Internet or a computer, computer program, computer system or computer network, or other electronic medium of communication without the victim's consent, for the purpose of causing injury to any person.

(2) A person who violates this section, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than five (5) years or a fine of not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($ 10,000.00), or both.

Nowhere in the papers examined by The Taxpayers Channel is the actual message or post referenced or reproduced for which Mr. Barr has been arrested and charged.

An examination of Barr's Facebook reveals one or two posts about Jamell Calhoun in which Barr reports embarrassing information about Calhoun. In one post, Barr posted two pictures purporting to be Calhoun exiting a local motel in the company of a female. Barr reported that she is an "alleged prostitute," and Barr called for an investigation of Officer Calhoun's conduct.

In another post, Barr repeated a rumor circulating in the community about Calhoun's alleged assault of a woman with a knife.

Mr. Calhoun was contacted by The Taxpayers Channel today, and at first stated that he would need to speak with his attorney before answering our questions. When asked about the charges he had filed against Mr. Barr, he claimed he didn't know what charges were being referred to. When asked whether it was true or not that he had filed charges against Barr, he stated that "you don't know whether I'm Jamell Calhoun, you don't know that." He refused to answer any further questions.

John Pittman Hey
The Taxpayers Channel

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