James Freeman released new footage from the so-called “Lexington Takeover” earlier this month featuring controversial police officer Scott Walters apparently hiding behind a door in a failed attempt to hide from Freeman’s camera as Freeman was filming through a window.
The incident happened earlier this month and was effective a siege of the Lexington, Mississippi, police station by Freeman, Guerrilla Publishing’s Run Durbin and others in an attempt to force officer Walters to come out and face questioning by Durbin.
Walters had arrested Durbin in early October following Durbin’s attempt to video record inside a courthouse in Lexington. The “Lexington Takeover” was Durbin’s idea to “take over” the town with first amendment auditors until such a time that the town council decided to fire Walters.
The event itself was marked by low attendance (James Freeman being the only “celebrity” first amendment auditor to show up at the event), general apathy of those who attended, and confusion as what was going on in town.
Durbin’s attempt to expand the take over to other towns resulted in an incident in Pearl, Mississippi, where Durbin was both arrested and suffered a heart related incident while in police custody that resulted in his hospitalization. The event fell apart soon after, with Freeman leaving to drive another auditor home before the planned Wednesday events.
Freeman’s footage was a let down to the auditor, in hindsight, as the siege of the police station did not result in what the “Lexington Takeover” wanted as Officer Walters was not fired by the town and would undergo “retraining” as a result of a complaint by Durbin.
Worse yet, Durbin’s long-time friendship with auditor Shawn Buckner apparently ended after a dispute between the men following Durbin’s hospitalization. Buckner abandoned the “Lexington Takeover” stating fear of being arrested if he returned to the hospital where Durbin was recuperating at.
While Freeman’s take on the presented video was intended to show how powerful his group was as they converged on the police department in order to harass Walters, in the end, the group came off equally as juvenile as Walters did as he attempted to hide behind a door from Freeman’s camera.
More footage and lawsuits are promised by Freeman and Durbin as a result of the failed “Lexington Takeover.”
