JOHN E. SETTLE Jr.
“There’s going to be a time when I will run over that son of a bitch with a Zamboni.”
This is a direct quote from Bossier City attorney Charles Jacobs at the Bossier City council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 7, on an open mike during the meeting. The reference was to none other than this author. It was made after I left the Bossier Council chambers after addressing the council.
For those who do not attend hockey games, a Zamboni is a large vehicle that resurfaces ice on an ice rink. At hockey games, a Zamboni smooths the ice right before the game, and between periods.
There are no recorded histories of a Zamboni running over a human, but then, in the free state of Bossier, who knows what will happen? And who knows if Jacobs has access to one of these big machines.
Jacobs’ remark was directed to council member David Montgomery. The video was posted that evening on Bossiernow, and by KSLA-TV station.
The remark was initially attributed to Montgomery. Jacobs sent an email to KSLA acknowledging that he, not Montgomery, made the statement.
Jacobs apologized in the email to KSLA, the Bossier mayor and council and the new Bossier CAO who was speaking at the time. Jacobs has not retracted his statement directed to me nor has he apologized for the same.
It has been reported by many that Jacobs is known as a “hot head” and that he had many incidents of using inappropriate language while sitting as a judge. And some say that he was facing disciplinary action by the Louisiana Judiciary Commission before resigning from his judgeship.
The remark clearly was a threat. It was made by a high-ranking public employee during a public meeting in a public building. It was recorded and later admitted to by the speaker in an email.
Louisiana law defines a battery to be the “intentional use of force or violence upon the person of another.” An assault is defined as “an attempt to commit a battery, or the intentional placing of another in reasonable apprehension of receiving a battery.”
To date, there has been no formal public reprimand of Jacobs by either Bossier Mayor Tommy Chandler, Bossier Council president Don “Bubba” Williams or any Bossier official. Nor have any charges been filed against Jacobs.
So is this type of behavior going to become the norm in Bossier City when a journalist questions the actions by the elected officials or writes stories not complimentary of them? Is the media/press to stay away from public meetings in Bossier City to avoid being threatened?
Jacobs has received several public records requests from me. He has begrudgingly complied with most, but he is stonewalling a very simple request for invoices from Manchac Group. Unfortunately, he is not being responsive in an expeditious fashion like his predecessor, Jimmy Hall, who, by the way, never threatened anyone at a Bossier Council meeting.
The council chambers are monitored by the Bossier City Marshal’s Office, which has been directed to remove persons deemed “unruly.” Is the marshal’s office going to enforce criminal laws in the chambers, even against public officials?
These are questions that deserve, in my opinion, serious review. The next Bossier Council meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 21. I will attend and stay for the entire meeting.