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Update: As of  5:15 p.m., the flag has been turned over to be right side up again by Sheriff Travis Patten.

NATCHEZ — Many driving or walking by the Adams County Courthouse on Thanksgiving perhaps had questioned why the American flag was upside down on top of the flag pole.

“We’re not under duress; Nothing was vandalized,” said Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten. “More than likely, it was human error,” that caused the flag to be upside down.

Every so often, the flag at the courthouse is swapped for a newer one by the county maintenance department. It is locked into its place on the pole where only a few have access to a key, Patten said.

Turns out this can be both a good and bad thing — good because it prevents vandals from desecrating the flags and bad because, in this current situation, anyone with a key is out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday, he said.

“We’re working to resolve the issue, but the only key is locked up in the Chancery Clerk’s office,” Patten said.

Patten himself retrieved a key and turned the flag around Thursday evening after 5 p.m. He wants the public not to be alarmed. “It’s just human error,” he reiterated.