MS DPS refutes Jackson woman’s account of incident at JXN Water building
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Barbara Gauntt, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
A Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesman is denying a Jackson woman’s claim that a security guard at the JXN Water office building pointed a gun at her and her family.
On Tuesday, Ward 5 resident Calandra Davis told a story during a Jackson City Council meeting about visiting JXN Water’s office in the Summit Building on Fortification Street to have her water turned back on after it was shut off for nonpayment on Tuesday. Davis said she hadn’t paid her monthly water bills, but she tried to set up a new account and JXN Water couldn’t find it, though they eventually succeeded.
Davis said she and her husband went to the office to ask “if there was a procedure to expedite water service for her and her three children.” The building’s security guard then “came out before we could even get out of the car” and “at some point a gun was pointed at my husband while my children were there,” she said.
Ted Henifin, the water manager for JXN Water, which is in the process of repairing the city’s water system, then came out and “threatened access to the water,” Davis said. Capitol Police were also called.
Bailey Martin, spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, disputed Davis’ claims. The Capitol Police is a division of the state Department of Public Safety.
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“This is not correct,” Martin said in an email. “Capitol Police responded to a 911 call about a reported disturbance at the Jackson Water Department building. Upon arrival, officers spoke with an employee and the customer and gathered details of the incident. They determined that the customer had engaged in improper conduct toward employees at the scene of the incident and the security officer attempted to remove the disgruntled customer from the building.”
According to Martin, “the customer” asked to remain anonymous and “stated that the security guard did not draw a weapon.”
“Neither Jackson Water Department staff nor the customer wanted to file an incident report,” Martin said.
Martin’s testimony does not address Davis’ claim that Henifin “jeopardized access to water.”
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After the council meeting, JXN Water sent out a press release regarding their water shutoff process. The press release makes no mention of Davis’ claim that security pulled a gun or Henifin’s alleged comments.
The press release states that JXN Water has begun the process of disconnecting water meters for homes and businesses that have been receiving water without an account. It also states that JXN Water’s office “is not open to the public and immediate assistance cannot be provided by an on-site visit.” If residents have any concerns, they should call the water utility’s call center at 601-500-5200.
After Davis told her story to the City Council, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said he was planning a town hall meeting to talk about the future of Jackson’s water system. He said he decided to hold the meeting after hearing “day after day” from frustrated residents about their water bills. He did not give a specific date for when the meeting would take place.
6th District Councilman Aaron Banks called for a record of all residents who have come to a council meeting to publicly voice their frustrations with JXN Water, which have been expressed at the last two council meetings.
