American Legion representative says deputies prevented members from checking on injured rider; commissioners to follow up

A representative speaking for the American Legion raised a complaint about officer conduct at an April 25 crash in Jasper and asked the commissioners to investigate.

The speaker said an injured member, Max Eckleste, was being loaded into an ambulance after a crash near a local restaurant and that multiple deputies and city officers were on scene but would not allow the member's friends to check on his condition. "We were not allowed to talk to him. We were not allowed to see him," the speaker said, and added that a deputy said he would arrest anyone who "repeated an investigation." The speaker said he left multiple messages for the chief deputy without receiving a return call.

Commissioners expressed concern about the allegation and asked the speaker to provide contact information so staff could forward the complaint to law enforcement for review and request body-camera footage. The chair said he would make contact with the sheriff's office and ask for follow-up. No formal disciplinary action or finding was made during the meeting; commissioners treated the item as a public complaint requiring follow-up.

The speaker said the injured rider is recovering but that his group felt disrespected by the on-scene treatment. Commissioners thanked the group for raising the complaint and committed to pass the concern to law-enforcement leadership for review and response.