SandyMaloneJackson, MS – The former mayor of Jackson brought down some old-school justice on a man who tried to break into his vehicle in his driveway on Sunday (video below).
It all began when Yarber’s wife noticed two men sitting in a running car in front of their home in south Jackson while they were getting ready to go to church on Oct. 29.
The former mayor went outside to look, and found a man trying to break into his truck, according to WAPT.
Yarber, a former kickboxer trained in taekwondo, kicked the door of the truck and a man fell out, according to Cleveland.com.
The suspect ran into Yarber’s garage, where he was captured, subdued, and disciplined, by the homeowner.
“Instincts kicked in,” Yarber said.
He said he didn’t know the suspect had a weapon at the time.
“Later we discovered he actually had a gun, and when I kicked him getting out of the car is what separated him from his gun,” Yarber said.
The former school principal said it was only later that he thought about what could have happened.
The former mayor said he held the suspect in the garage for his own safety, according to the Clarion Ledger.
“I wasn’t sure if there was a second person, so I didn’t want to stay out in the open,” he said.
“He said some things that made me mad,” Yarber said. “He asked me not to kill him because he’s got a 2-month-old baby, and I’m like, ‘My kids are in my house right now.'”
The Clarion Ledger said that’s when Yarber’s instincts as a former school principal kicked in, and he sent his daughter to get his paddle.
One of Yarber’s children caught the entire incident on cell phone video, which he shared with WAPT (see video below.)
The video showed Yarber sitting on the suspect, hitting him on the butt with a paddle.
He can be heard lecturing the suspect, later identified as 22-year-old Juwauan Bibbs, as he paddled him.
“When you break in people’s stuff, it’s because somebody ain’t whooped your tail!” Yarber said, in between swats.
When Jackson Police Department arrived on scene, Yarber said the first officer told the alleged intruder, “Wrong house, homeboy.”
A handgun was recovered at the scene.
Jackson Police arrested Bibbs at Yarber’s house, and charged him with auto burglary and possession of marijuana, according to the NY Post.
This was not the first time the Yarber family’s home and safety has been threatened.
In 2005, Yarber had to battle intruders who broke into his home. They tried to kick the door in, and the mayor had to fight them to protect his family, he told WAPT.
“This house is mine, and we don’t have any intentions of going anywhere unless my wife says so,” Yarber said.
MS News Now covered the story, suggesting that the former-mayor could face assault charges because the paddling wasn’t necessary for self-defense.
They interviewed local attorney John Reeves who said, “In this case, the former mayor took it in his own hands to drag the guy to the carport and whip. That goes beyond the Castle Doctrine. That wasn’t necessary to protect his home.”
The news agency even went so far as to contact the police department to see if they were going to charge Yarber.
Police Chief Lee Vance chose not to answer the stupid question.
At Bibbs’ first court appearance, the judge set his bail at $20,000. He’s is being held in the Hinds County Adult Detention Center.
You can see video of the paddling below. NOTE: The news report in the video mistakenly reported that the suspect was a juvenile.