New Tallahatchie County Sheriff Jimmy Fly issued the following statement to The Sun-Sentinel on Saturday, Aug. 18.
Fly, 33, was appointed to the position by the Tallahatchie County Board of Supervisors on Thursday, Aug. 16. He was sworn in later that same day by Circuit Judge Jimmy McClure at the Panola County Courthouse in Batesville.
Fly's statement is as follows:
"It is a great honor to be appointed interim sheriff of Tallahatchie County, and I would like to express my appreciation to the Board of Supervisors for their confidence in me. The phone calls and text messages of encouragement and prayers that Mary and I have received over the past few days have been amazing, and I would like to tell everyone thank you. Words cannot express my gratitude.
"Through my service as a deputy and justice court judge, I have seen some things that I feel can be made better. We must move forward to make Tallahatchie County a better place, and it is my main goal to restore the trust and confidence of law enforcement back to the people of Tallahatchie County. We need to ensure that the people of the entire county feel they are protected, and we need to work closely with all law enforcement officers within the county and agencies outside the county.
"To everyone who supported me and my family when we ran for justice court judge, I hope that you understand why I chose to resign and accept this appointment, and I hope that we will continue to have your support. To everyone who was not in my judicial district, I look forward to working for you and hope to have your support in the future. To my wife and family, I want to say thank you for always being there and supporting me. We have a lot to work through and this will not be easy. I ask that everyone please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
"The day after being appointed, a man stopped by the office to congratulate me and offer some advice. He said, 'Before you make any decisions, look at your wife and little boy first and trust in God.' Thank you for those kind words. I look forward to serving Tallahatchie County as sheriff and I will do the best I can for the people of Tallahatchie County."
IN THE PHOTO: Tallahatchie County Sheriff Jimmy Fly (Special to The Sun-Sentinel)
