Columbus Councilman’s involvement with waffle house robbery

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry is talking about his department’s handling of an investigation, where a city councilman was present.

Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard was questioned about an armed robbery outside of Waffle House back on June 25.

Councilman Beard has not been charged in the case. However, some have questioned should the Columbus police department hand off the investigation after a sitting city councilman was seen at the crime scene.

Councilmen have a vote on whether to hire or fire employees, make appointments within the city, create policies, and pass budgets.

But the city’s top cop says there’s no conflict because politics don’t matter when it comes to the law.

Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry said Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard was at the Highway 45 Waffle House when the two hold-ups happened, along with 30 to 40 other people.

The chief explained to WCBI that Beard was seen talking with the suspect, Quavis Betts, as the robberies were happening.

“We do know he did speak with the individual and tried to stop him. We do know that but that’s about as far as we are right now with the investigation,” said Daughtry.

Sources said Beard was seen leaving the scene with Betts and it’s all on surveillance video.

CPD later arrested Betts at a nearby hotel.

Beard declined an on-camera interview in a text message. He did say he was not under investigation and he has not been arrested.

In Daughtry’s opinion, Beard did not commit a crime. He believes Betts is the right person to be facing charges.

“As far as criminally wise, it’s not against the law not to call the police. The individual that was out that night, that created havoc, that robbed two individuals, was arrested by the Columbus Police Department. The person that had the gun was arrested by the Columbus Police Department. The only person that had a gun that night was arrested by the Columbus Police Department,” said Daughtry.

This is not the first time CPD has investigated an incident involving Beard. He had a misdemeanor domestic violence charge dismissed in Lowndes County Justice Court last year. Former Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton told WCBI at the time that Beard and his wife were reportedly in an argument when a gunshot was fired in the backyard.

Daughtry said he sees no conflict of interest in the investigation.

“And to me, it’s kind of insulting when people throw, what happened in the past. I can’t change the past but I can regulate the future. And I can tell you that under this administration of the Columbus police department, we’re gonna do our job,” said Daughtry.

“If he wasn’t there, we wouldn’t even be talking about this. One thing that I’m not going to do is cater to political pressure or people’s hidden agendas based on their professional feelings or how they feel about an individual. I see him. I don’t care if the governor was there. we’re gonna do our job and we’re gonna do it right.”

Daughtry says the case will be presented to a grand jury. A timeline has not been set.

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