Tuscaloosa County Commissioner Charged After Incident At MLK Elementary

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Tuscaloosa Police Department announced on Wednesday that it has arrested District 4 County Commissioner Reginald Murray for causing a disturbance during an elementary awards program Tuesday morning at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary.

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As Patch previously reported, video of the encounter that circulated on social media shows Murray handcuffed and threatened with a Taser during the altercation.

TPD spokeswoman Stephanie Taylor told local media Wednesday evening that investigators obtained warrants to charge Murray in connection with the incident.

Taylor said that Murray, 66, was charged with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental operations and disorderly conduct.

Murray, who has represented District 4 on the County Commission since 1996, turned himself in on the misdemeanor charges at the Tuscaloosa County Jail Wednesday afternoon.

As Patch previously reported, the criminal charges stem from an incident that occurred Tuesday morning during the school’s 9 a.m. awards program.

Taylor said Murray was among a group of latecomers attempting to enter the auditorium for the awards ceremony after the doors had been locked.

"When a TPD officer informed Murray that he could not enter the ongoing program, Murray continued to knock on the door," she said. "The officer exited the auditorium to escort Murray out of the building, but Murray refused to comply and physically resisted while yelling and causing a disruption."

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She then said investigators reviewed all available information regarding the incident before obtaining the warrants on Wednesday.

Tuscaloosa Police Chief Brent Blankley said the TPD officer shown in the video responded appropriately to maintain the safety and order of the school environment.

“As always, our priority Tuesday morning was the safety of students, staff and visitors," Blankley said. "Once everything had calmed down and we had the opportunity to review what happened, we decided it was appropriate to move forward with charges."

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