JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ark. (KATV) — A social media influencer has been arrested in Jefferson County after he made false public statements online that triggered an emergency response at a county detention facility.
The influencer, Mark Cannon, was arrested by the Jefferson County's Sheriff's Office (JCSO) after he falsely claimed that a gun had been snuck into the W.C. "Dub" Brassell Adult Detention Center in a Facebook Live video.
During the live video, Cannon repeatedly said that a gun was inside the housing unit and that detention personnel were smuggling in more contraband, JCSO claims.
The video triggered emergency response protocols at the detention facility, leading to a full search of the housing unit. No firearms or contraband were discovered during that search.
Police say that this is not a one-off incident for Cannon. They say he made a false report of a detainee being stabbed multiple times on May 4, 2024, and a post involving outdated footage on Sep. 30, 2025. These incidents both resulted in unnececesary police response.
Judge Phillip Green issued a warrant for Cannon's arrest on charged of Communicating a False Alarm and Impairing the Operation of a Vital Public Facility on April 10.
Cannon was then arrested and taken to the "Dub" Brassell, where he was booked.
"Let me be clear, false reports of this nature are not harmless. When an individual knowingly spreads misinformation that suggests the presence of a weapon inside a detention facility, it triggers a...
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