An Oktibbeha County Supervisor was arrested last week on a charge of disorderly conduct after an incident outside the Starkville Police Department.
According to a Starkville police incident report, District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard was placed under arrest Aug. 24, along with his daughter, 24-year-old Markista Sherrell Howard, and his sister, 59-year-old Lora Elaine Hogan.
The incident began around 5:15 p.m., when Starkville police officer Stephen Hale stopped Markista Howard for speeding on Reed Road, near Garrard Road. Dispatch informed Hale that Markista Howard had a warrant out for her arrest on an undisclosed charge from December 2008.
Hale informed the woman of the warrant and gave her the option to drive her vehicle to the Starkville police station, where she would have to make bond on the previous charge, according to the report. Howard agreed and continued south on Reed Road, but instead of making a left onto Highway 182 toward the police station, she went right and headed west. At this point, Hale stopped Howard again, he said in his report.
Markista Howard told Hale she didn”t know how to get to the police station, even though she previously said she knew where it was located, Hale said in the report. Then the situation grew tense.
“Ms. Howard then stated that she didn”t do anything wrong and didn”t know why she was going to the police station,” Hale wrote in his report. “At this time, she was asked to exit the vehicle so she could be searched and placed under arrest for the warrant.”
Howard then attempted to get on her cell phone and make a call, Hale said.
“I asked Ms. Howard over and over to get off the phone, but Ms. Howard refused to,” Hale wrote in the report. “Ms. Howard was asked five or six times to get off the phone, but still refused to do so. I then grabbed Ms. Howard”s right hand and placed her into hand cuffs.”
After A-1 Towing picked up Howard”s vehicle, police transported her to the station at Lampkin and Washington streets for booking. Upon arrival, however, Hale and Markista Howard were met by Marvell Howard.
According to Hale, Marvell Howard walked up to the police vehicle and asked if Hale was the officer who arrested his daughter.
“I advised Mr. Howard yes and he started going off on me, telling me that I manhandled his daughter on the side of the road and that I was not going to lay a hand on his daughter,” Hale said in his report.
Hale asked Marvell Howard to move to the front of the building so he could talk to Hale or a supervisor, but Howard refused to leave the side of the patrol car, Hale wrote. Howard then yelled at officers to take their hands off his daughter as they removed her from the vehicle.
Eventually, Hogan showed up and attempted to take Markista Howard”s purse out of Hale”s hand, he said. Officers repeatedly told Hogan and Marvell Howard to leave the parking lot, but they refused, according to the report.
“Mr. Howard and Ms. Hogan would not leave the parking lot or do anything the officers told them to do,” Hale wrote. “Mr. Howard and Ms. Hogan were then placed under arrest for disorderly conduct fail to obey.”
All three family members were then escorted inside the police station for booking.
Marvell Howard this morning declined to comment, but said he is preparing a statement to address the charge.
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