A candidate for Blytheville treasurer spent Election Day morning in court.
James Gregory, 44, of 510 S. Lilly faces charges of obstructing government operations and loitering after being arrested early this morning, carrying a political sign that he apparently told an officer was his identification.
Blytheville District Court Judge Shannon Langston continued the case. Police later learned Gregory has two warrants for failure to appear -- one out of Tucumcari, N.M., and the other from Faulkner County, Ark. Neither agency wanted to extradite Gregory, police said.
According to officer Cody Gentry's police report, around 3 a.m. today, Gregory was walking west on Willow carrying the sign.
Because of recent defacing, destruction and theft of local political signs, Gentry said he felt obligated to stop and identify Gregory.
"I asked (Gregory) if he wouldn't mind coming over to my car," Gentry wrote. "He became very aggressive, yelling and making statements such as 'you know who I am' and 'call someone and ask them who I am and they will tell you what to do.'"
Gentry said he asked Gregory where he got the sign, and the treasurer candidate responded it was his sign.
"I then asked for identification to verify he was the owner of the sign," Gentry wrote. "He told me that the sign was his ID, and that he had every right to walk down the street. I advised him that I wanted to see a photo ID due to me not being familiar with him. He continued to refuse and stated that his name was on the sign."
Gentry then arrested Gregory for not providing identification and "refusing to give me any information."
"He stated 'fine, let's go,'" the report said.
The report said after being detained, Gregory was asked twice more to produce identification and refused, saying "I plead the fifth."
Gentry said at the station he told Gregory if he had just cooperated he would have been sent on his way.
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com