Argument brings in deputies, halts Jackson Co. supervisors meeting
Published 5:39 pm Wednesday, December 5, 2007
It was a heated argument and the insults were hog wild.
Jackson County Supervisor Frank Leach accused Supervisor John McKay of “oinking” under his breath. McKay asked if Leach forgot to take his medication.
The ongoing dispute between Leach and McKay got so out of hand during Monday’s meeting that the board president called in additional sheriff’s deputies.
McKay and Leach have been in a feud for years. A 2004 meeting reportedly ended in a shoving match between the two.
After that incident, the two filed assault charges against each other. The charges were eventually dropped and the two worked out their differences.
Tempers flared again in November when Leach accused fellow supervisors of attending a secret meeting about a proposed casino with Choctaw Chief Philip Martin.
On Monday, shortly after the supervisors opened their morning meeting, McKay asked about a recent accident Leach had in his county-issued vehicle.
An argument quickly ensued.
Board of Supervisors President Tim Broussard tried to stop the argument, but didn’t have much luck. Leach then brought up the 2004 fight, saying that McKay had lied to police about the shoving match.
Things got out of control. Leach accused McKay of making “oinking” noises that were directed at him. McKay asked if Leach had taken his medication.
Broussard called a 15-minute recess so everyone could calm down. Two additional deputies were called in the meeting room and stayed until it ended. There were no more outbursts.
“There was no reason for him to holler and scream at me the way he did,” McKay said afterward. “I asked him a logical question. The accident caused $5,000 in damages to a county truck.”
Leach said McKay was trying “to make something out of nothing.”
“He needs to leave me alone and quit bullying me,” Leach said. “Hopefully, he doesn’t attack me again.”