The Names of the Public “Servants" Fired for Chaining Mario Scott’s Feet to His Hands and Beating & Suffocating Him to Death are being Kept Secret by Jackson Authorities

From [HERE] In February, Mario Clark's family went public with allegations that a brutal beating by Jackson police officers left the 31-year-old brain dead for days before he died.

Then the grieving family started receiving threatening messages, they said.

"If you don't shut up, they're going to find you missing," said one message described by Clark's brother.

"Thank y'all for killing this man. He's a nuisance to society .... You better kill the rest of the family and her for running her damn mouth," is another comment his sister said she saw online. 

To the family, the message is clear — stop talking about Clark. That's not going to happen, said Clark's mother, Shelia Ragland, 54.

On Feb. 14, 2019, 911 was call for assistance when Clark, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, was having a psychotic episode. The encounter with Jackson Police Department officers ended in Clark's death, which has been ruled a homicide.

Last month, an internal investigation by the Jackson Police Department into Clark's death led to the firing of four officers. The city has released little information about the firings.

All we know so far was summed up in a three-paragraph news release sent from the mayor's office on March 5. It said that Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and Police Chief James Davis terminated three officers and their supervisor after an internal investigation revealed "multiple violations of the officers' general orders." The officers also failed to file necessary reports about the incident.

When pressed for more details, a JPD spokesman said he doesn't know if or when the officers' identities will be made public.

Clark's family is left with many questions. Who are the terminated officers? Why don't we know their names yet? If they were responsible for Clark's death, why have they not been arrested?

"They committed a crime. Just like everybody else, why aren't they in jail?" Ragland wants to know.

Their frustration mounts with each week that passes. It's been nearly two months.

On Valentine's Day evening, Clark — who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at a young age — suffered from a "psychotic episode," Ragland said.

She called 911 for help. When officers arrived, they picked Clark up and threw him on the couch, Ragland said in an interview with WLBT. At some point, Clark ended up on the floor, his hands and feet handcuffed, she said. Ragland alleged officers beat Clark on his legs and kicked and hit her son in the head while she pleaded with them to stop.

Kristale Bennett, Clark's girlfriend, told the Clarion Ledger he had asked her to come pick him up on Valentine's day. By the time she arrived at the house, Clark's feet were "chained" to his hands and "four or five" officers were on top of him, beating him, she said.

"He said, 'They're trying to kill me,'" Bennett recalls. She said officers forced her to leave the home.

"They really didn’t have to do him like that," Bennett said. "He was a teddy bear. He didn’t pose no threat at all."

Later, EMTs arrived at the house, the mother told WLBT. Clark was transported to an area hospital and was placed on life support.

Ragland told local media that officers showed up at her door, "hogtied" Clark with handcuffs and started beating and kicking him.

He died shortly after midnight on the morning of Feb. 20 at Merit Health Central.

Clark's cause of death was "blunt force injuries with probable asphyxial component," according to his death certificate. It was ruled a homicide, according to the Hinds County coroner.

Jackson Sgt. Roderick Holmes told the Clarion Ledger that while JPD's internal investigation of the incident has been completed, an ongoing criminal investigation continues. Holmes said it's normal in situations like this for there to be both internal and criminal investigations.

The FBI is also on the case, according to a statement previously released by the mayor's office. The status of that probe is unclear as the FBI's policy does not allow for them to confirm or deny ongoing investigations.