Tupelo mayoral candidate charged w/ simple assault on teenager for DING-DONG-DITCH prank gone wrong

TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) — Tupelo mayoral candidate Rob Chambers is charged with a misdemeanor after being accused of kicking a teenager in the groin outside his home just one day after filing to run for office. Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson said three teens came to Chambers' house in Belden Saturday night, rang the doorbell, then ran away. He said when they did it again, Chambers jumped out of the bushes, grabbed one of the teens and kicked him. "The parents of the juvenile that was kicked filed a report with the Lee County Sheriff's Department," said Johnson, "and an affidavit was signed by the parents in Lee County Justice Court. And subsequently, a warrant was issued for simple assault." Chambers, the only candidate challenging incumbent Todd Jordan, turned himself in to law enforcement Tuesday and posted a $600 bond. In a Sunday Facebook video, the candidate indicated he thought there may have been more to what happened instead of just a prank. "It could be some kind of coincidence," said Chambers. "I don't know. But it certainly appears to me that it's targeted to try to intimidate me to not be involved in this mayoral election." Johnson said what happened was not politically motivated. "This is a situation that — if you've got teenage kids or even when I was a child, kids pulling pranks on other kids — we can say that there was a child at the home the same age that knew these individuals," said the sheriff. The case involving the candidate would normally be handled by Tupelo police, but the department turned it over to the Lee County Sheriff's Department to avoid a conflict of interest. WTVA 9 News reached out to Chambers Tuesday to see if he wanted to comment further after what he posted Sunday. He did not answer multiple phone calls.