MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Sheriff Floyd Bonner was in the hot seat Tuesday for the latest in-custody death at the Shelby County Jail.
On Monday, activist group Decarcerate Memphis posted video of a group of people defacing Bonner’s campaign headquarters.
It was one of the topics of discussion at Tuesday evening’s mayoral debate in Cordova.
“A lot of times when people come to jail, they’re not in the best of health,” Bonner said. “This is their first time getting to see a doctor.”
Since Bonner took office, the sheriff’s department said there have been 44 inmate deaths. The latest is 70-year-old Thomas Williams.
“This gentleman was 70 years old, had been incarcerated for over 50 years on a murder charge,” Bonner said. “He was in poor health.”
The posted video shows the campaign headquarters covered in signs stating “Bodybag Bonner,” the names of inmates who have died, and other accusations over the increasing number of people who have passed away behind bars.
“The people that are doing that type of activity want to free criminals, want to see criminals out, and that's not what we're talking about here on our campaign,” Bonner said.
Bonner accused Decarcerate Memphis, which posted the video on its Facebook page, of being responsible. He released a statement calling them “a group of radical activists who support my opponent.”
“I don't mean a singular opponent,” he said when asked to clarify. “I don't know who they support in particular. But I know obviously, they do not support me and what we stand for.”
But a representative from Decarcerate Memphis told ABC24 they only shared the video as a sign of solidarity and could not confirm or deny their involvement.
ABC24 political analyst Otis Sanford said it is a problem that he tied the event to any of his fellow candidates at all.
“He's casting a bad influence on several people,” Sanford said. “He's leaving it up to the voters to decide who is participating in this group.”
Almost all the candidates at the forum condemned the actions portrayed in the video.
“I’m not supportive of vandalism at all,” candidate J.W. Gipson said. “But one of the things I can say to you is that the community is concerned about what’s happening at 201 Poplar.”
Sanford feared this could be a sign of things to come.
“It just shows that as this race gets closer to election day, it is going to get even nastier and nastier,” Sanford said.
According to the sheriff’s department, the 70-year-old Williams was back at 201 Poplar for violating his parole.
Bonner has called the actions in that video vandalism. But the anonymous member of Decarcerate Memphis said vandalism involves deliberate destruction of property and the actions in the video only show people posting signs on Bonner's building.