After spending close to four years behind bars before even heading to trial, a Yazoo City man was recently released on a $50,000 bond. The bond set by a local judge has some officials concerned since the suspect was already out on a felony bond when he was charged with two additional counts of aggravated assault. But others feel his rising medical costs and needs should also be considered when it comes to housing him before court proceedings.
The suspect has been tossed between two local jail facilities for close to four years with a growing mountain of medical expenses. From the Yazoo County Regional Correctional Facility to the holding facility at the Yazoo City Police Department, it has been back and forth since 2021.
Calvin Williams was released on a $50,000 bond following a hearing in Yazoo County Circuit Court by Judge Jannie M. Lewis-Blackmon on Aug. 8. Circuit Clerk Robert Coleman said the bond was granted with some restrictions.
“He cannot leave the home he was released to unless it is to attend a doctor’s appointment,” Coleman said. “A probation officer was placed in charge of monitoring him. I am not sure if he is required to wear an ankle monitor or not, but it is the responsibility of the probation officer to make sure he is where he is supposed to be.”
Williams was first charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in February of 2021, following a shooting at a former Shell gas station, located at the intersection of Fifteenth Street and Grand Avenue. The victim was hospitalized after witnesses said he was struck twice by bullets.
Following his bond release from that felony charge, Williams was charged with two additional counts of aggravated assault that following December of 2021. He was charged in connection with shooting two females at a home on Barnwell Street.
Both incidents were handled and charged through the Yazoo City Police Department.
Since the 2021 incident, Williams has been behind bars for three years and eight months.
The family of Williams appeared before the Yazoo County Board of Supervisors last month wanting answers, stating that he had medical conditions and has endured “inhumane treatment.”
The matter of Williams was brought forward during the county board meeting following an hour-long discussion of housing Yazoo City inmates at the Yazoo County Regional Correctional Facility. The definition of Williams either being a county inmate or city inmate had been questioned. But with hefty bills associated with Williams’ medical needs, his family said his care should be top priority.
“I don’t know if he is a county or city inmate,” said Essie Bryant, Williams’ sister. “I just want to ask for accountability and answers for what has transpire, particularly over this entire time he has been incarcerated with his medical concerns.”
Williams was previously housed at the Yazoo County Regional Correctional Facility. However, he was moved to the holding facility at the Yazoo City Police Department at the request of Sheriff Jeremy McCoy and Warden Jacqueline Morton.
McCoy said the staff at the county jail cannot provide the medical attention needed for Williams. Police Chief Terry Gann also agreed that Williams’s condition needs medical attention beyond what can be provided at the holding facility at the police department. Gann suggested that Williams be placed into custody at a medical facility that could adequately handle Williams’ medical needs.
Before his bond release, Williams was still being held at the holding facility at the police department. Unsure of the exact amount, Gann added that the expenses associated with Williams’ care are over $50,000, which he said the city of Yazoo City has covered.
“I am unsure of the exact amount, but I do know that when he was airlifted once, that bill alone was $50,000,” Gann said.
Coleman said Williams’ trial is pending, adding that it should be included in the court’s next term this upcoming November. One of the delays in his case includes a pending mental evaluation.
“We are faced with a lot of pending mental evaluations in our court,” Coleman added. “Those appointments are one of the biggest delays in court proceedings.”
