Chris MasseyPhoto: Olive Branch Police Department
A Mississippi state senator and his father were arrested recently, after an altercation with a landscaping crew escalated quickly.
The landscaper, Anthony Smith, 59, and his employee, 24-year-old Marcus Lane, were in an Olive Branch, Mississippi, subdivision and were trying to reach a client’s lawn.
The road was blocked by two trucks belonging to state Sen. Chris Massey, who is a homebuilder. Massey, 44, was building a house in the neighborhood.
“When they finally moved, he pulled up to my truck and said he owned this G-D street, started cursing us,” Smith told News Channel 3.
Smith and his employee began to unload their equipment when Massey’s father, 66-year-old Jackie Massey, spat in Lane’s face. Lane pushed back and then the senator’s father reached for a shovel.
According to Tuscon News Now, a shovel, tire iron and other landscaping equipment ended up being used in an all-out brawl. Lane was struck in the head with the shovel.
“There’s blood on him and there is blood on me, all because I wanted to finish a man’s lawn today,” Smith said.
Police arrived just before 11 a.m. on Thursday and arrested all the men. Massey, his father and Lane were all charged with aggravated assault while Smith was charged with simple assault.
Neighbors aren’t surprised by Massey’s actions, saying that this behavior has been going on for a long time.
“He’s the chair of the Ethics Committee, and that is very, very scary,” said Dale Spikes, a homeowner who has filed police reports on Massey before.
They are all due in court July 14.
