It didn’t happen, said a Vicksburg police officer reported to have disrupted 911 phone service in Claiborne County while moonlighting as a communications consultant.

&#8220For God’s sake, I am a law enforcement officer,” Patrolman Troy Kimble said Tuesday afternoon. &#8220911 never went down. The phone systems never went down.”

Tuesday morning, Mike Espy, attorney for the Claiborne County Board of Supervisors, said Kimble was angered on Sept. 5 when a $100 invoice was rejected and county phone lines, including emergency lines, were shut off Sept. 7.

Espy said the supervisors had given him full authority for an investigation, which is under way, and has resulted in the suspension of Claiborne County Administrator James Miller.

Kimble said Espy had the date wrong, too.

&#8220The invoice was given to the county on Aug. 31, but it was for $7,000 for Microsoft Exchange servers,” Kimble said. &#8220Mr. Espy should have checked his facts before he put something slanderous out to the media.”

In Vicksburg, Police Chief Tommy Moffett said he was requesting an internal investigation to determine whether Kimble complied with department policy by having permission for a second job.

&#8220I’ve talked to him, but I have to do an investigation to determine if policy has been violated,” Moffett said. &#8220A violation could warrant discipline.”

Moffett also said he thought disrupting emergency phones could result in a criminal charge, but that was for Claiborne authorities to decide. Claiborne County Sheriff Frank Davis, who is on record complaining about the county’s new phone service for months, declined comment.

Espy said Kimble was working as an independent contractor for Delta Communications of Vicksburg. Attempts to contact Edwin Mitchell, identified as the owner of that business, have not been successful. The Secretary of State’s office lists no active corporation under that name.

Miller, Espy indicated, had been suspended because supervisors were unable to find written agreements in the matter. State law requires local governments to follow procedures for all purchases. A consequence of failing to follow the rules can be orders to repay wrongly spent money from their own pockets.

Miller said he had done nothing wrong and that his suspension was political.

Espy said supervisors refused to pay the $100 fee to Kimble &#8220for attending a meeting in which the board president wasn’t there.” He said a representative from Delta Communications was to have simply addressed supervisors on the company’s services and products.

Moffett said if Claiborne County authorities press charges against Kimble, he would review the results of that investigation to decide if action would be taken.

&#8220I would ask to see the investigation report to determine whether he would remain on the job,” Moffett said.

Espy said Tuesday morning that he personally contacted Kimble when he was told the phones, including 911, were out on Sept. 5 and that Kimble hung up on him. Reportedly, 911 service was restored that day and, later, county phones started working again.