A Mississippi radio host has been arrested and charged with three counts of simple assault, stalking, obscene electronic communication, and cyber-stalking, which is a felony.
William "Napoleon" Edwards was taken into custody on Tuesday for allegedly cyber-stalking a Hinds County supervisor. In a court hearing held on Wednesday, Municipal Court Judge Ali Shamsideen set Edwards' bond at $20,000.
Edwards hosts a show on WPBQ radio and broadcasts live via Facebook. Known to his listeners as The Cipher Voice, Edwards has built a reputation for exposing issues affecting the city of Jackson.
Previously, Edwards has used his online platform to call out the mayor, the police chief, and even local pastors. But the host's on-air treatment of David Archie prompted the supervisor to accuse Edwards of cyber-stalking.
Archie claims Edwards made death threats against him and falsely accused him of being a convicted felon. The supervisor alleges that during a Facebook Live broadcast that took place last weekend, Edwards threatened to execute him.
In a news conference given outside Jackson Police Department headquarters Tuesday night, Archie said: "There is information he [Edwards] put out about me that was absolutely true. I don't have a problem with that. What I have a problem with is that, if you are not a convicted felon, don't say you are a convicted felon. Edwards said I was a convicted felon twice and I committed horrible crimes against women, which are absolutely not true."
At Wednesday's hearing the judge ordered Edwards to have no contact with Archie. Edwards was also made subject to a gag order that bars him from discussing the circumstances of his arrest on air or via Facebook.
A public defender put it to the judge that the cyber-stalking charge against Edwards should be dismissed as his words had been taken out of context.
The defender maintained that what the host said was that he would use public information to go after Archie. Since Archie is a public official, the attorney argued that Edwards had the right to speak out against him.
Edwards' sister, Darcell Odom, said that his family fears for the radio personality's safety while he is in jail because The Cipher "has undoubtedly said some unfavorable things regarding some city officials."