Written by Tanya Terry
A man who on May 5, marched with a small group from Flint City Hall to Mayor Sheldon Neeley’s home carrying a casket, has said he will return to the area on June 1, bringing hundreds of protesters if certain conditions are not met by then. He has said the June protest will be peaceful and will not take place in front of the mayor’s home.
The man previously spoke with a megaphone in front of Neeley’s residence saying: “We bring a casket with the citizens of this city to declare the funeral is over, and today the tyranny and dictatorship in these United States of America is over.”
The Flint Police Department said Jedidiah Brown was jailed on a two charges of alleged disorderly conduct related to the protest shortly after the incident, being called a “casket protest.”
A pre-trial is currently scheduled for Monday, May 19 for the Genesee District Court case.
Brown has said on social media that Neeley can avoid the June protest by resigning or calling a community forum to address violent crime, delays in paying Flint water settlement claims and other issues.
Brown had also been removed and escorted from a Flint City Council meeting prior to the May 5 protest. As a result of the removal, Brown sued Police Chief Terence Green, who had removed him, along with two Flint City Council members, as well as other city officials. Brown said his civil rights were violated.
In a letter Rep. Cynthia Neeley released on May 7, she referred to Brown as a “political terrorist from out of state.” She said of Brown he “dragged a casket to my front door and shouted vile and profane things about my husband and my family.”
“In recent years, we have witnessed an alarming rise in political violence across the country,” said Rep. Neeley in her letter.
“Yesterday, it came to Flint,” she continued. “That someone could be sent—allegedly at the urging of certain local officials—to terrorize my family in the name of politics or personal gain is heartbreaking. These tactics have no place in our community.”
In April, Neeley asked the special master assigned to oversee the $626-million Flint water crisis settlement to expedite payments to city residents.
In addition, the City of Flint has said youth violence is “trending down “
Flint Police Chief Green stated the department is still actively investigating this incident and any related activities to ensure the safety of all residents, as well as urging community members to report any information they have on this event or similar occurrences to the Flint Police Department.
