A complaint was made against Americus Council Member Daryl Dowdell by Clifford Morgan regarding an incident on 01/18/2024. The complaint reads as follows:
“Wednesday January 24th 2024 at 1345 hours, reporting officer received a phone call from the complainant. The complainant wished to have an incident documented that occurred during the January 18th 2024 Council Meeting.”
The incident occurred after a council meeting where Morgan addressed the City Council about gun violence in the community. A video was referenced that Morgan sent to the mayor and council members that Daryl Dowdell called “offensive.” The YouTube video showed a women named Jane Elliot addressing a crowd about racism toward African Americans.
The security camera footage from the court room during the incident has no sound. Clifford Morgan hands papers to council member Dowdell, in what appears to be a heated exchange from their gestures. An officer approaches. Morgan states that the officer had asked him to leave, with which he complied. In the video Morgan leaves, and the same officer briefly touches Dowdell on the shoulder as he appears to address the retreating Morgan.
Morgan claims that Dowdell said “I ain’t afraid of you. You don’t know me. Don’t let this suit fool you.”
Morgan mentioned that he wanted to document the incident. He was told the incident didn’t fit the criteria for a threat, but he insisted on documentation. Morgan has made repeated complaints about crime in the community, but stated he was unwilling to testify due to fear of reprisals.
The ATR has reached out, but Dowdell has yet to provide comment on the incident.