James R. Pursiful Jr., a 49-year-old Middlesboro man, was arrested on Wednesday after police investigated a complaint from 34-year-old Jeffrey Daniels of Middlesboro.
Pursiful is a former Middlesboro City Councilman and a former teacher in the Middlesboro Independent School system. He is the son of former Middlesboro Police Chief James Pursiful, who is currently employed as the Middlesboro Safety Director.
Daniels alleged on Sunday, August 9 that he had been assaulted by Pursiful one day prior, on Saturday, August 8. After police investigated the alleged incident, a search warrant and arrest warrant were issued for Pursiful and his residence.
On Wednesday, Pursiful was arrested by KSP officers and was lodged in the Bell County Detention Center. Pursiful was charged with one count of assault in the second degree, one count of kidnapping and one count of intimidating a person in a legal process. He was released later on Wednesday on a $50,000 cash bond.
According to KSP Public Affairs Officer Walt Meachum, Pursiful allegedly appeared at Daniels’ residence and attempted to persuade Daniels to drop the charges against him sometime between Sunday and Wednesday, leading to the charge of “intimidating a person in a legal process”. Meachum said that the two men reportedly engaged in a second altercation at that time. Meachum had no comment concerning the kidnapping charge.
This makes the third arrest this year for Pursiful. He was arrested in February 2009 and charged with assault in the fourth degree in a domestic violence situation. He was arrested in April 2009 and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs.
This case is under investigation by KSP Trooper Tyson Lawson.
If you ask me - there's no problem with any police agency around here. The problem comes when these officers start needing witnesses and information. It's not about government corruption, it's about apathy and in some cases, outright cowardice from the community.
The original accusation that I responded to was the notion that this problem in general (and Pursifull's in particular) has been somehow advanced by our elected offcials. Ben Hickman was mentioned by name. This is incredibly unfair to him and it lessens the seriousness of our drug problem.
BTW, since we're counting now - As far as I know, MPD is still the only agency anywhere that has ever gotten a conviction on Pursifull of anything greater than a traffic charge.
Please explain how the Mayor, any mayor, could possibly have control over the drug use of ANY individual. In fact, this mayor has stood up and allowed his own police department (without interference) to arrest his grandson, his son, and the Safety Director's son (twice for Jimmy). Not one police officer has been penalized or interfered with in any way. These are FACTS!!! Look them up.
As for the court system ... well, they have good days and bad days. But, it's mostly not about corruption as much as it is about exhaustion. How much more of this can any of us take? Let's quit whining like b*****s about the things we imagine - and instead, pitch in and make the hard choices. Quit ducking jury duty; if you're free - go watch what goes on at court, involve yourself in UNITE or some other organization.
These are just a few suggestions. Mainly though, quit talking about what you don't know about, quit blaming elected officials for things they can't control, and quit sitting on the sidelines!
Its going to be a struggle to get rid of entrenched power barons who maintain a chokehold on this area but I've been pleased to find more and more people beginning to speak up. This is one "tradition" we definitely don't need to continue.
Until you the citizens elect someone other than the same regime, this type of activity will continue. I dont live in that town anymore just because of the corruptness. I had the opportunity to get out and accepted it. I have seen it 1st hand Mr Pursifull Sr, runs the city, and until a mayor is elected that has the perverbial taters to end the reign, nothing will change.
As for Jimmy, May God help you through this brother. Turn it back around and live the rest of your life well. As has been stated in the previous posts, get help man. When I was younger I had the utmost respect for you because you were not like the rest. Let this be rock-bottom. Build up from here.
The people He is dealng with in this situation are as bad and/or worse than he is.
He has a fine mother i will say that and this is causing no doubt his loved ones a lot of remorse.
I do feel sorry for them. Jimmy has been on the path to destruction for 5-8 years now.
But even when he was clean and sober minded he had done several terrible things that was overlooked or swept under the rug. That would and could have landed him in prison long before
now. I do so hope after they place this in drug court which they will and give him no time and a slap on the wrist which they will that he can and will become a better person. I do not see this happening without hard time. He is the way he is because he can and will get out of anything under bowling and constanzo. Wait and see.