Charges dismissed against Lauderdale County officer

By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
Aug. 30, 2002
Simple assault charges against Maj. Steve Spears of the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department were dismissed Thursday because of the lack of a prosecuting witness.
Dwayne T. Watts, a local attorney who filed the charges against Spears, did not appear for the court date.
The misdemeanor charge was filed following an incident that allegedly happened at the East Mississippi Drug Task Force building at Ninth Street and 20th Avenue on May 10.
In his affidavit, Watts claimed that Spears, a deputy sheriff assigned to the Task Force, pushed him. After charges were filed, Billy Sollie, Lauderdale County Sheriff, said that Watts was trying to gain access into the task force building when the incident occurred.
Spears' duties were not altered after charges were filed.