In 2009, they went after Barbara Blackmon as vice-chair. . .
And now in 2015, it’s Vallena Greer
Mississippi Democratic Party vice chair alleges simple assault
The incident allegedly occurred during the party’s meeting Saturday at Millsaps College, where Greer stood on a stage presenting information from a staff report. She said Banks was irate about a Clarion-Ledger story detailing Greer’s complaints against party Chairman Rickey Cole and charged her.
“He charged the stage like an angry bull, screaming and thumping the paper, yelling, ‘You leaked this to the paper, you leaked this to the paper,'” Greer recalled. “He reached up and grabbed my arm real tight, and left finger prints, and he snapped me to him. And said, ‘I was talking to you.'”
Greer said Banks “had fire in his eyes,” and frightened her.
But Marshand Crisler, who served as the party’s sergeant-at-arms Saturday, said Banks didn’t assault Greer. Rather, he reached out to get her attention as she passed his seat upon leaving the stage.
“A pretty heated exchange occurred prior to it, so there were a lot of emotions involved, but I don’t’ think it’s anything I would remotely consider assault,” said Crisler, who is also Jackson’s Deputy Chief Commissioner of Public Safety.
Clarion Ledger
3/4/15
Magnolia Tribune
