Ivan Whitfield, a former Pine Bluff City Council member and president of the local branch of the NAACP on Wednesday defended a text message he sent to the mayor and several members of the city council concerning the death of Maurice Taggart.
Taggart, the former director of Urban Renewal who was facing multiple theft charges, was shot to death in what police said was an altercation with his son, who was also wounded.
Whitfield, who is also a former Pine Bluff Police Chief, phoned in to Talk Back Live with Floyd Donald and explained the message.
In the text, Whitfield said the cause of the incident can be traced back to Go Forward Pine Bluff and Urban Renewal and Donald asked if he believed that was the root of the problem.
During the conversation with Donald, Whitfield said a number of times that “this thing is much biggr than Maurice (Taggart) and Donald asked him what he meant by that.
