A controversial ad targeting Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has stirred up controversy by placing blame for the shooting death of a police officer on Bailey’s tenure as a local prosecutor. The ad, which was created by the Defend Missouri PAC supporting Bailey’s rival in the GOP primary, accuses Bailey of going easy on a “violent career felon” who later shot and killed a police detective. The ad features Ray County Sheriff Scott Childers, whom Bailey is seeking to oust from office on separate allegations.
The ad has received criticism from law enforcement organizations for politicizing the officer’s death and jeopardizing Bailey’s prosecution of the suspect. Both the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police and the Law Enforcement Legislative Coalition have called for the ad to be taken off the air and for a public apology from Bailey’s rival, Will Scharf. Bailey’s campaign condemned the ad as a cheap political stunt that disregards the victims and their families.
The suspect in question, Kenneth Lee Simpson, has a long criminal history dating back to 2004 and has faced multiple felony charges over the years. He is currently facing charges for the shooting death of Hermann Police Det. Sgt. Mason Griffith. The ad has reignited tensions surrounding Bailey’s prosecutorial decisions and has drawn attention to his ongoing legal battle with Ray County Sheriff Childers.
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Photo credit missouriindependent.com
