A Ragland woman wants an apology from Police Chief James “Bubba” Brown for a comment that was made nearly three months ago.

Janie Bowlin said that at a city council meeting in March, Brown sat down in front of herself and Mary Lynn Hannah, another Ragland resident, turned and said, “The two of you are the meanest SOBs I know.”

“The chief’s job is to serve and protect, not cuss women,” Bowlin said.

While Brown does not dispute the fact that he made the statement, he alleges that Bowlin and Hannah were making joking comments before he said what he said. “They called me back to where they were sitting and I sat down in front of them,” Brown said. “They started talking about the mayor and the police department. Janie told me to give her and Mary Lynn a gun and badge, hire them and they would straighten the place up for me. As she said it, they were laughing and joking. That’s when I said what I did, also in a laughing and joking manner. It was not meant to be taken serious.”

Hannah said she did not hear Brown’s comments that evening but did have a problem with something the chief said. “I know that’s a lie about us talking about the mayor and the police department,” Hannah noted.

Bowlin said she would like an apology from Brown. “Not public or anything. Just pick up a phone,” Bowlin said.

Brown has no intention of apologizing now but said he would have with different timing. “I would have apologized if she had spoken up at the time, or even a couple days later. I thought we were cutting up and joking. I guess she decided she doesn’t like me, I don’t know,” Brown said.

Mayor Lanis White attributed the situation to a type of misunderstanding and said if he thought there was any harm intended by Brown he would’ve handled it differently. White spoke with Brown and Brown assured him that what was said was in a joking manner.

Brown said this was the first official complaint filed against him in five years as the Ragland police chief.