Robert Hall and Sandy Grisham, co-authors, will be in discussion with the Rev. Christopher Powell.
Robert Hall, who had dreamed of being in law enforcement since he was a child, was sworn into the Tupelo Police Department in 1987. Hall excelled, rising to the rank of deputy chief (and even graduating from the FBI National Academy). Hall earned the respect of both White and Black citizens of Tupelo, and he appeared to be the heir apparent to the chief of police.
But in 2006, a swift decision was twisted to suit his persecutors’ ends, and Hall found himself suspended from the force and charged with obstruction of justice and perjury.
Badge Unbroken: The Robert Hall Story by Sandy Grisham and Robert Hall (Nautilus Publishing, 2025) explores the turbulent events that played out in the Tupelo Police Department in 2006 and beyond. For the first time, Robert tells his side of events, laying bare a reality of racism, lies, and injustice. Sandy Grisham masterfully gives voice to Robert’s story, from his early days of working as a dispatcher to the 2007 trial where he stood before a judge and declared, “I don’t believe I have a chance in a court of law because everything has been denied me. This cannot be a fair case!”
Hall’s career in law enforcement was shattered. But Hall persevered. He started over, building a new life for himself and his family. In 2010, when new leadership emerged at the police department, Hall was asked to rejoin the force. Once again, he wrestled within a system that would not accept a Black man in a position of power.
Jack Reed, Jr., former mayor of Tupelo and owner of Reed’s Gumtree Bookstore, praised the book. “Robert Hall has never been given the opportunity to tell his side of the story in the controversial roller coaster ride of his tenure at the Tupelo Police Department — until now. With the expert assistance of Sandy Grisham, this is a blow-by-blow account of the ups and downs and final ascent of one man’s battle to end up on top.”
As Robert’s story unfolds, it illuminates the racial politics that have shaped the South since the Civil War — and that are still at work today.
Badge Unbroken is available at bookstores everywhere. A signing event with authors Robert Hall and Sandy Grisham is scheduled for Off Square Books on May 2, 2025 at 5:30 pm. To order, or for more information, visit your local independent bookseller.
