After road rage incident, Tallassee mayor, woman charged with misdemeanor harassment

The mayor of Tallassee and a local woman are facing misdemeanor harassment charges in connection with a July 5 road range incident.

Mayor Johnny Hammock and Keazanni Spencer face the charges, courthouse records show. C.J. Robinson, chief assistant district attorney, confirmed the charges Sunday night. 

Hammock turned himself into the Elmore County Jail about 9 p.m. Sunday, Sheriff Bill Franklin confirmed. He went through the standard intake process which included being fingerprinted and photographed, posted a $300 bond and was released, Franklin said. He was treated like anyone else, the sheriff said. 

"Mayor Hammock believes he acted appropriately to protect his wife and will vigorously defend himself," said Mickey McDermott, his attorney.

Spencer  turned herself in Monday morning and was released on a $300 bond, jail records show.

At issue is an incident that occurred in Tallassee involving the mayor's wife and two young Tallassee residents. Hammock did not testify during a probable cause hearing Friday before Chilton County District Judge Chris Speaks.

Hammock's wife told Speaks that on that afternoon she had just left her business and had pulled onto the road when a blue sedan passed her. She said the vehicle was driving erratically, so she got her phone to call 911. Hammock's wife said the other vehicle pulled in front of her to block her, and another vehicle stopped behind her where she couldn't leave.

An occupant of the blue car got out, cursing her, she said.. The occupant returned to the blue car, and the car drove off and the mayor's wife said she went and filed a police report.

The driver of the blue sedan, Spencer, 21, of Tallassee, told Speaks in her testimony that they thought the mayor's wife was pulling over to use the phone, so she went around her. Spencer said the two vehicles later pulled parallel and stopped in the middle of the road and the third occupant of the vehicle asked the mayor's wife if she was recording them on her phone.

About 20 minutes later the issue flared again when Hammock and his wife were driving in the area in his pickup truck and noticed the blue sedan. Spencer testified that Hammock was driving the pickup and pulled in front of her car blocking her.

The mayor allegedly got out of his truck and approached the sedan.

"He asked me 'Did you try to run my wife off the road?"Spencer testified, and she noticed he allegedly had a handgun. She told Hammock that she didn't try to run his wife off the road. "He was 'Do you know who the f--- I am?' and I told him I didn't know who he was. And he said 'I'm the f------ mayor and I'll throw your a-- in jail."

During her testimony, Hammock sat in the courtroom and shook his head.

Speaks asked Spencer if Hammock had pointed the handgun at her, or threatened her with it and she said no.

"Did you feel threatened by it?" Speaks asked.

"Yes sir," she answered.

Hammock is serving his first term as mayor and is up for re-election Tuesday.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.