A simple traffic stop late Saturday night lasted into Sunday morning and resulted in the arrest of one man who reportedly accused officers of keeping his driver’s license.
According to reports, an officer with the Covington Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with a dealer tag. After speaking with the female driver and the male passenger and checking their licenses, the couple was allowed to leave, and according to reports, the officer gave the female both licenses back before they went on their way.
Just after midnight, a dispatch operator called the officer on his cell phone and told him that the man whose license he had checked, identified as 44-year-old Marvin L. Jefferson, had called and said he did not receive his license back after the stop. The officer advised dispatch that both licenses had been given to the female in the vehicle. A few moments later, dispatch called the officer once more and told him that Jefferson had called again and was irate because he did not have his license. The officer asked for Jefferson’s address and made his way to the home on Spillers Drive to speak with him.
When the officer pulled into the driveway of Jefferson’s home, he noticed the man on the front porch and noted in his report that he appeared "like he had an attitude." On his way up to the porch the officer reported that Jefferson stated in a loud, demanding voice "I want my license!" When told that the license had been returned to the female who was in the car with Jefferson, he reportedly continued to yell at the officer for not having his license and at one point allegedly told the officer that he made more money than he.
"Mr. Jefferson advised me that he made more money than I did and that he would sue me and the Covington Police Department for the missed days at work and until he got his license back," reads the officer’s report. "He then advised that he was going to call [Assistant Chief of Police] Almond Turner because I was a white cop and that [Chief of Police] Stacey Cotton was white too and wouldn’t do anything."
Jefferson also allegedly said "We have more rights then ya’ll do now," and continued to tell the officer that he should have given him his license back. Jefferson reportedly told his daughter to write the officer’s name down because he was "going to tell the sheriff" and the officer reported that he gave Jefferson a card with his name and badge number on it.
The irate Jefferson then reportedly demanded to speak with the officer’s supervisor and once again advised the officer on the scene that he made more money than the officer did "because he drives a truck for a nuclear plant and he had five cars in his driveway that were all his."
When the officer’s supervisor arrived, Jefferson was on the phone with one of his daughters, who he allegedly said worked for internal affairs. Jefferson allegedly told the officer’s supervisor what the problem was and the supervisor advised him that if the female passenger he had been in the vehicle with had his license there was nothing more they could do for him.
As the officers were leaving the porch, Jefferson allegedly began screaming obscenities at them, at one point referring to them as "white crackers," then going into the residence and slamming the door. Officers went to the door, knocked and instructed Jefferson to come to the door. According to reports, officers could see Jefferson through an open window of the home sitting in a chair in his kitchen.
A female inside the home came to the door and let officers inside, according to reports, and they proceeded to place Jefferson under arrest for disorderly conduct. While he was being arrested, his 17-year-old daughter reportedly became upset and started crying, then allegedly punched a glass window, cutting her hand and wrist and causing it to bleed. Officers attempted to get EMS out to look at the girl’s injury, but her mother allegedly told them she would be fine and declined EMS assistance.
On the way to the Newton County Detention Center Jefferson had nothing to say, according to reports, but once they arrived he allegedly gave the officer a "mean look" and reportedly asked him "are you happy now?" When the officer was inside he asked Jefferson for his first name and "he stated something about President Obama," according to reports.