EX-COPS GET HARSHEST SENTENCES IN PROTECTION CASES

Former Officers Disgraced JPD, Judge Says

Two former Jackson police officers who accepted money to protect FBI agents
who were posing as drug dealers will spend more time in prison than the
other officers sentenced.

Former Jackson Patrolman Tim Henderson, one of six former officers charged
together last year, was sentenced to eight years Thursday - the most of all
the officers convicted.

Henderson, a Jackson Police Department officer for 17 years, earlier
pleaded guilty to accepting $500 to provide protection May 3, 2000, and
June 6, 2000, for a 5-kilogram shipment of cocaine at the Greyhound Bus
Station.

Wallace Jones, a former detective, drew four years for accepting $1,000 and
providing security Aug. 25, 2000, for a shipment of cocaine to the bus
station. He was indicted in a separate sting investigation.

"I don't know how either one of you can face yourselves in the mirror,"
U.S. District Judge William Barbour said after sentencing the two.

Before sentencing, Joseph Hollomon, attorney for Henderson and Jones,
appealed to Barbour to consider the sentences of the other former officers
Barbour had sentenced for similar crimes. Former Detective Stanley Butler
was sentenced to one year and former Patrolman Nate Thomas was sentenced to
four months' imprisonment and five months' house arrest.

However, Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Burkhalter said Butler and Thomas had
only agreed to provide protection and accepted money but Henderson and
Jones accepted money and actually escorted the undercover FBI agents they
thought were drug dealers.

"It is disturbing for the court to have to deal with rotten police
officers," Barbour said. "The two of you have disgraced JPD and every law
enforcement agency. Both of you were good officers for a long time and you
blew it out of pure greed."

Both will remain free on bond until they begin serving their sentences Jan. 21.

Hollomon noted to Barbour that both his clients acted out of character in
committing the crimes. He told Barbour that Jones was under financial
stress, partially because he needed money to help pay legal fees for his
sister, former JPD Detective Alvaine Baggett, 43.

In January Baggett, a 15-year JPD veteran, was sentenced to 27 months in
federal prison for accepting money from drug dealers to fix their cases.
"Jones, it is particularly bad when you use the excuse of your sister's
attorney's fees for engaging in some of the same activity," Barbour told
him. "You followed her down the same road."

Jones, 37, said before sentencing: "I just want it to be known that I do
accept responsibility for the actions I took in the past. I accept full
responsibility. I don't have any ill feelings against JPD, the FBI or Mr.
Burkhalter. The actions that I took I did on my own."

Said Henderson, 46: "I accept full responsibility for what I have done. I
want to resolve this so I can get on with my life. I am not upset with JPD.
I just want to get on with this so I can get back to my family and my wife."

Hollomon said the ordeal has been stressful for Henderson and Jones. "It is
a tragedy for these men, their families and everyone involved," he said.

Burkhalter said the two failed the city when they committed the crimes.
"There is no question these men took money with willingness to guard drugs
coming through Jackson at the same time they were to safeguard the citizens
of Jackson," he said.

Henderson and Jones both would not comment after sentencing.

Angela Todd, the 29-year-old niece of Henderson, said JPD should be
punished as well as her uncle because it helped recruit the officers charged.

"If the department would not have put that temptation in front of them they
would not be here today," she said. "That shows that they had no trust in
the people they are hiring."

JPD spokesman Robert Graham said Acting Police Chief Jim French has not had
time to review the sentences and he reserves comment until he has had time
to do so.

Detective Fredrick Fleming, president of the Jackson Police Officers
Association, said he is first to admit that when officers do wrong they
need to be punished. But he said the department should have stood behind
the officers until they pleaded guilty.

"I cannot say as far as this incident the department is at fault but I know
that the department did not stand behind the officers at all," he said.
"When you are accused of something the law says you are innocent until
proven guilty. The department says you are guilty until proven innocent.
That is a problem with JPD. That is why morale is so low."

Former JPD Sgt. Ronald Youngblood testified at Butler's February trial that
he was under investigation for taking payments for shielding drug dealers
from police. So he agreed to help apprehend other officers who were later
charged.

Charges were dismissed without prejudice against Youngblood Dec. 14,
meaning they could be brought up again.

Only one other officer remains to be tried. Fred Gaddis, another of the six
former police officers arrested last November after the 15-month FBI
investigation, is scheduled for trial Monday.

Charges were dismissed against the other former officer, Joe Wade.