A Jefferson County man has been arrested after authorities say he made false claims on social media that prompted an emergency response at the county jail.
Mark Cannon was taken into custody by investigators with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office following an incident earlier this month at the W.C. “Dub” Brassell Adult Detention Center.
According to officials, Cannon used social media, including a Facebook Live broadcast on April 3, to claim a firearm had been brought into a misdemeanor housing unit inside the jail. During the broadcast, authorities said Cannon repeatedly asserted a gun was inside the pod and accused detention staff of smuggling contraband. Investigators also said Cannon appeared to display what looked like a firearm during the video.
Law enforcement officials said the claims prompted deputies and detention personnel to initiate emergency response protocols, including a full search of the housing unit. No weapon or contraband was found.
Authorities said the incident is part of what they described as a pattern of behavior involving the dissemination of false information. The sheriff’s office cited previous incidents in 2024 and 2025 in which Cannon allegedly made inaccurate claims about violence inside the jail, prompting similar responses.
On April 10, Phillip Green, a circuit judge from Lincoln County, found probable cause and issued a warrant for Cannon’s arrest on charges of communicating a false alarm and impairing the operation of a vital public...
An Arkansas man who police say is a "serial social-media provocateur" has been arrested for falsely making claims about firearms and contraband inside a jail. JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ark. — An Arkansas m...