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A routine visit to Pearl, Mississippi's city hall turned into a $20,000 nightmare when Police Chief Nick McLendon arrested a journalist for what he initially said was perfectly legal behavior. The same police chief whose former department included an officer sentenced to 10 years in federal prison as part of Mississippi's notorious "Goon Squad" civil rights violations.
The journalist had simply walked through unlocked doors in a public building, stopping at the mayor's office threshold without entering. Yet McLendon, who became Pearl's police chief in February 2024, deemed this worthy of arrest and an extraordinary bond typically reserved for serious felonies.
The Chief's Troubled History
McLendon's previous position was with the Richland Mississippi Police Department, where his track record raises serious questions about his hiring in Pearl. During his tenure in Richland, one of his officers was convicted and sentenced to federal prison as part of the Mississippi Goon Squad, a group of law enforcement officers who committed brutal civil rights violations against Black residents.
The pattern didn't end there. Shortly after McLendon left Richland, another of his former officers was caught on video making racial slurs toward Hispanic residents. Court records also reveal McLendon was personally sued for racial profiling, with a federal judge writing a scathing opinion about his conduct while reluctantly granting qualified immunity.
Constitutional Policing Claims Versus Reality
The irony runs deep. McLendon publicly promotes a program he calls "Constitutional Policing and Practices," advocating for officers to respect civil rights during encounters. Yet his own department's recent actions tell a different story.
Body camera footage obtained from Pearl shows one of McLendon's current officers demanding to search a Black preacher's vehicle while his child slept in the backseat. When the preacher refused consent, the officer explained that denial of a search request "makes us think they're guilty of something because otherwise why wouldn't you just agree."
This mirrors the exact reasoning a federal judge condemned in McLendon's previous racial profiling case.
The Courtroom Revelation
The racial disparities became starkly apparent during the journalist's court appearance the morning after his arrest. In a town that's nearly 70% white according to census data, the courtroom was filled almost exclusively with defendants of color. The journalist and his colleague appeared to be the only white defendants present.
This observation gains significance when viewed alongside McLendon's documented history and a disturbing video showing one of his officers referring to a Black arrestee using a racial slur.
The Arrest That Defies Logic
The arrest report reads like it was written entirely by McLendon himself, filled with police jargon rather than the victim's own words. The journalist never passed through a locked door, ignored any restricted access signs, or entered any private spaces without permission.
What triggered McLendon's anger was the journalist's suggestion that the building needed better signage to indicate restricted areas. That recommendation somehow escalated into handcuffs, medical emergency, and a bond amount that criminal defense attorneys with 15 years of experience call unprecedented for a misdemeanor.
What the Video Reveals
The full arrest footage captures McLendon's escalating aggression and the journalist's medical emergency that followed. Federal authorities are now reviewing the case, adding Pearl to a growing list of Mississippi departments under scrutiny for civil rights violations.
But the most revealing moments come when McLendon discusses his department's need for "creative ways to bring in more money" and the targeting patterns that seem to accomplish exactly that goal.
Watch the complete arrest footage to see how a simple records request turned into a federal civil rights investigation.
