Dothan Commissioner Albert Kirkland Grabs Me Around The Throat With Both Hands And Begins To Choke Me

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
[email protected]
334-790-1729
Date: Oct 15 2013 1:26 AM

DOTHAN:   This article is written after much internal debate with myself. The reason for the debate is that Dothan, in my opinion, is on the verge of growth of business with the efforts of Dothan Mayor Mike Schmitz.

And, with the China Symposium coming, I did not want to do something that would make Dothan look bad just as the symposium was to begin. However, the symposium has been postponed for a period of time.

OCTOBER 7, 2013   MONDAY

On October 7, 2013 Dothan Mayor Mike Schmitz and the Associate Commissioners were sworn into office for a four year term of office. I was late arriving at the ceremonies. The swearing in was over and people were mingling around.

After a period of time I was standing in the arena of the Civic Center, the west end, talking with Dothan Public Works Director Jerry Corbin. We were standing there chatting about 911 issues. We both serve on the Advisory Board of Dothan – Houston County E-911.

We were approached by District 3 Dothan Commissioner Albert Kirkland. Commissioner Kirkland made a remark to me about a Dothan business which I had written an article about where their electricity had gone out during their busy night of business. Being a frequent customer I knew their electricity had gone out several times.

The business owner did not ask me to do the article.

In the article I made the comment the Commissioner for the district needed to go by the business. The Commissioner for the District of the business is Albert Kirkland.

When Kirkland approached he made a smart comment about the business. I quipped had he gone by there. Commissioner Kirkland said no, in which I replied, well you should have had you’re a—kicked, or either I said beat, like the others. My reference was as Former Dothan Commissioner Critt Snellgrove and Former Dothan Commissioner James Reading who were defeated in the election. Not physically but in the election of Commissioner.

When I said that Dothan Commissioner Albert Kirkland grabbed me with both hands around the neck, placing me against the wall and started choking me. Dothan Public Works Director Jerry Corbin and someone else had to pry Commissioner Kirkland’s hands off my neck and stop him from choking me.

Dothan Police were called and a report made.

FIRST TIME KIRKLAND PUT HIS HANDS ON ME, BUT NOT FIRST THREAT

Prior to Albert Kirkland becoming a Commissoner, while he served on the Planning Board, a local talk radio station did an article concerning Kirkland and then Dothan Commissioner of District 3 Paul Lee.

Kirkland called and threatened to whip my a—for the story. I quickly informed Kirkland that I had nothing to do with the article, like everyone else the first time I heard it was on the radio. However, my a—was like a mess of turnips come gather a mess, but to make sure he kissed his wife on the way out the door.

Commissioner Paul Lee informed Kirkland I had nothing to do with the story. Kirkland later apologized for his actions.

SOME SAY LONG TIME COMING

Some will say that someone grabbing me, well that has been coming for a long time. And you might be correct.

However, I never approached Kirkland at the swearing in. It was Kirkland that approached me. It was Kirkland which brought up the business and issue, and I feel very strong the Commissioner should have made contact with the business.

Electricity is the largest revenue source of the City of Dothan. And you are to look after your customers. Even if you have a protected territory like utilities where customers have no choice but to use you.

AS CORONER

When I served as Houston County Coroner, my salary for Coroner was $ 100 per month. In the four year period, I handled 1154 deaths, of which I personally was on the scene of all but about 25 of the deaths in a four year period.

During my tenure as Coroner, my daddy, Curtis Stokes, died in 1985 of lung cancer. When we walked back into my sister’s house from the funeral, the crime lab paged me. They gave me the results of an autopsy that was conducted in another death.

Eddie Ingram was catching call for me during my dad’s death and funeral. Eddie had worked the death but the lab called me and gave me the findings.

I left my family to go and meet with the family who had the death. At $ 100 per month salary, I felt the obligation to meet with this family and give them the cause of death found on their loved one. Their death was as important as my death.

What I am saying, I ran for and was elected to service. Although I was paid very little for the amount of work, I still took the oath of service serious enough to leave my mother just after we buried my daddy, to meet with this family. That was my obligation as an elected "servant".

THAT IS WHERE I GET THE SERVICE FROM AND WHY I EXPECT KIRKLAND TO REACH OUT TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

This is not the first occasion where Commissioner Kirkland has failed to reach out to the business community in his district.

When 5 jobs were being lost because of the City of Dothan, Pig Out BBQ, Commissioner Kirkland refused to reach out to work a solution to save those jobs. While 5 jobs are not many, it is if those 5 jobs are your job. Kirkland refused to reach out in either situation to the business community.

ANGER MANAGEMENT AND METAL DETECTOR

The Dothan Commissioners have a metal detector in place that everyone BUT the elected officials are required to pass through.

Based on the actions of Dothan Commissioner of District 3 Albert Kirkland, it might be best that he be required to pass through the metal detector.

Any city employee that did what Commissioner Kirkland did to me, would have been terminated. In fact Dothan Utilities terminated a long term employee for spending his food allowance locally rather than out of town.

Commissioner Kirkland has some anger issues. While I have been encouraged to seek arrest warrants on Kirkland, and have 365 days from the date of the incident to do so, what is more important is Commissioner Kirkland needs to undergo some serious psychological examinations and treatment for anger management.

I do not want to have him arrested. It is not good for Dothan. But for Kirkland to attack me at a public event in front of people, grabbing me by the throat and choking me against the wall, it is uncalled for. Even though a lot of people want to do that to me, it is not lawful.

And it will not stop me from looking into issues and holding the elected and appointed officials responsible for their duties and actions.

SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER

What makes it even more sad, Albert Kirkland attended Southside Baptist Church in his first marriage. He was my and Paul Lee’s Sunday School Teacher as we were growing up.

It is always nice when your former Sunday School Teacher grabs you with both hands around the neck, places you against the wall, and is choking you.

Many thanks to Dothan Department Head/Assistant City Manager Jerry Corbin for his not hesitating to pry Kirkland’s hands from around my neck. And to the other person who assisted you.

Thanks.

There have been several rumors floating, so this is what happened.

BY THE WAY, KIRKLAND IS GOING TO WASHINGTON D.C.

I recently pointed out the Commissioners normally go to Washington D.C. in support of Ft. Rucker. Kirkland was not going. However, since my article earlier in the week, Kirkland has contacted City Manager Mike West and notified him that he is going.

At least he is showing support for Ft. Rucker now.

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