The Mississippi cop who left her toddler in her patrol car unattended for four hours last week, resulting in the girl’s death, was charged with manslaughter Thursday.
But in a surprising reaction, local sheriff’s investigators are complaining about Cassie Barker’s low bond, saying she is a flight risk after her whereabouts were “murky at best” in the wake of her daughter’s death.
Barker, who has since been fired from the Long Beach Police Department, turned herself in today, accompanied by two attorneys.
And she was released within an hour, not even having to make an initial court appearance, which is the general protocol when cops get arrested.
But we generally don’t hear other law enforcement officers complaining about this Blue Courtesy.
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Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adam
However, Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adam and his chief investigator, Glenn Grannan, are outraged that the judge presiding over her case did not confer with them before setting a bond of $50,000, according to the Sun Herald.
That means that Barker likely paid $5,000 to a bails bondman to secure her release.
Even the Sun Herald is outraged at Justice Court Judge Tommy Carver, penning the following in an editorial today.
We, like Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adam, question the way the case of Cassie Barker was handled Thursday.
Barker was charged with manslaughter in the death of her daughter, who was left in a hot car for hours. An arrest warrant was issued.
So far, so good.
Barker didn’t turn herself in for hours after a warrant was issued. When she did, Justice Court Judge Tommy Carver freed her on a $50,000 bond. That didn’t sit well with Hancock County Chief Investigator Glenn Grannan.
No wonder. Not long after Barker’s daughter, Cheyenn, was found dead in a car at the home of Barker’s shift commander, her whereabouts had been murky at best.
The judge didn’t ask the sheriff nor the sheriff’s investigator for advice on setting Barker’s bond. Instead, he set the bond after talking to her attorney.
“It just smells, and it puts us in a bad light,” Adam said. “Because she’s an officer, we’ll get the blame for that. I’m a little aggravated.”
Despite losing her job and support from local law enforcement and the media, Barker’s attorneys, Donald Rafferty and George Blair, remain confident.
“We look forward to our day in court,” Rafferty told reporters.
Barker left her toddler, Cheyenne Hyer, in her patrol car on Friday while she was visiting her shift supervisor, Clark Ladner, after working the night shift.
She said she meant to stay only a few minutes and that she left the car running with the air conditioner on, but ended up falling asleep along with Ladner, who has also been fired.
In April 2015, Barker left the girl in the car unattended in a strip mall parking lot, resulting in somebody calling police.
The state Department of Health Services seized custody of the girl, who was two years old at the time, but she then regained custody.
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