Behind The Blue Wall

Monday, February 4, 2008

[GA] FINALLY! Fired Sgt Parker arrested for murder of Theresa

“It’s been a bittersweet day. It’s good, we are relieved and we feel like it is a step forward. Sam Parker was a member of our family for 17 years. It’s tough also too. We have got some of the best people in law enforcement working for us. I know we do and I believe it is those men that made this happen. They are wonderful..."

- Christina Hall

Sam Parker Arrested For Murder
NewsChannel 9
John Madewell
February 4, 2008
NewsChannel 9 has confirmed through law enforcement sources that Sam Parker, 52, has been arrested for the murder of his estranged wife, Theresa Parker. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested Parker at his home at about 10 o'clock this morning without incident. The GBI informs us he has been moved to a jail outside of the Walker County area. This case has received tremendous publicity. Sam Parker was a 26-year law enforcement veteran, including rising to the rank of Sergeant at the LaFayette police department, before he was fired after his estranged wife disappearance. Theresa Parker has been missing since March 21, 2007. The GBI says today her body has still not been found. We just spoke with Theresa Parker's sister, Christina Hall. The news reached Hall about 30 minutes after the arrest. Hall said, "I was elated, I was happy. But on the other hand, I was sad. It hits pretty hard. I mean it makes it so real. He was a part of our family for 17 years." Walker County Georgia Sheriff Steve Wilson will hold a news conference at 4:00 PM today. Of course, NewsChannel 9 will have much more on this story as details develop.

Videos of current news:

[GA] FINALLY! SGT PARKER ARRESTED

[GA] Sister of slain cop's wife Theresa Parker

[GA] Arrest of Parker Press Conference Pt 1

[GA] Arrest of Parker Press Conference Pt 2

[GA] Arrest of Parker Press Conference Pt 3

Past Interviews with Sgt. Sam Parker:
Cop Husband of Missing Theresa Parker Speaks out (1)
(Parker says his wife got caught up in a mess, and imploded. He was fired during the investigation into Theresa's disappearance for having explosives in his work locker.)
Cop Husband of Missing Theresa - Extended interview(2)
[GA] Fired Sgt Sam Parker 2nd interview on public access
[GA] Fired Sgt Sam Parker 2nd interview - Excerpts
[GA] Fired Sgt Sam Parker interviews again on missing wife

Husband charged with murder of Theresa Parker
Walker County Messenger
02/04/08
Sam Parker, the only named “person of interest” in the March 2007 disappearance of his wife Theresa Parker, has been charged with murder. Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said Sam Parker, 52, was arrested at his residence by Walker County Sheriff's Department, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and FBI at 9:55 a.m. Monday. Capt. Mike Freeman with the Walker Sheriff’s Department said officials did not find Theresa’s body. Claire Careathers, Theresa Parker’s mother, said about Monday’s arrest, “It was a great day for my family, but sad for his (Sam Parker’s). I hope he will tell us where she is so we can bring her home so we can have closure. I know she’s out there somewhere and now it’s up to us to bring her home. We have to find her, that’s all there is to it”... Careathers said that she didn’t know of any new evidence that investigators where going on that led to the arrest. However, she did speculate that Ben Chaffin, who was charged in connection with her daughter’s disappearance, might have played a role in the arrest. According to Careathers, she was not surprised to learn of the arrest. “They have kept real quiet. They wouldn’t even tell the family anything... But they have been working around the clock to get this case closed”... Jonathan [Wilson, Theresa Parker’s brother-in-law] said he was awaiting word from his wife Hilda, Theresa’s sister, to find out if they will be traveling back to Walker County. “It is like my wife said, it kind of brings us to the realization that Theresa is gone. It gives us mixed emotions, because at least stuff is moving forward. He gets arraigned, and once he is convicted, it will be something. I wouldn’t say joyful, but it will be a relief for us to know that her death is not going (in vain). Justice is going to be served for it. He (Sam Parker) is innocent until the jury finds him guilty. I know they have a decent case, or they would not issue an arrest warrant. It is the first step of bringing closure, but we are still holding our breath because if he is not found guilty, it is not going to bring any closure to it,” he said. “We

want to keep her alive in people’s minds.” Christina Hall, Theresa’s sister, said, “It makes me feel relieved. It is bitter sweet. It is really bitter sweet. It is something that we thought was going to happen, but this makes it more real. It makes you realize this is really all real. Very bitter sweet. I am happy. I want justice to be served now... I hope that we can find her and bring her home and that is our first priority now... It was a shock. We are just very glad that it (the arrest) happened. We hope that this will lead to finding her... Of course we have all cried this morning … The only word to sum it up is bittersweet... It is so good because we are hoping that this will lead to finding her, but then it is sad because it is hard to believe that it is our family going through this. And Sam was in our family for 17 years. It is just really sad... I want to thank everybody that’s been praying and supporting us. We have had so much support it has been unbelievable. People have been wonderful and I just want to tell them thank you so much and to keep praying that someone will tell us where she is and we can find her and bring her home”... Sam Parker was a sergeant with the LaFayette Police Department when his wife disappeared on March 21, 2007. He was later fired from that job after officials found explosives in his police locker. The Parkers were in the midst of divorce proceedings when she disappeared. Sam Parker has maintained that his wife left...

Sheriff says time was “right” to charge Parker
Walker County Messenger
Larry Brooks and Josh O'Bryant
02/04/08

Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson, in an late-afternoon news conference Monday, said the time was simply “right” for arresting Sam Parker. "Nothing has changed,” Wilson told reporters. “This is the right time. The charges today were based on a collection of evidence from day one." Parker was arrested Monday morning at his home and booked into the Walker County jail on one count of murder... Wilson said that the priority of his department has and will continue to be to find Theresa Parker. "There will be no rest until then... We held out hope until now that she would be found alive. But reality tells us she is not”... Wilson said the case has been an unusual one, in that investigators have no body or murder weapon. He said the state does allow for a person to be brought to trial for murder without either. About a possible conviction, Wilson said, “It's been done." Wilson cited the 1993 case of White vs. the State of Georgia and the 2006 case of Hinton vs. the State of Georgia, in which convictions where brought in both cases. Christina Hall, Theresa Parker’s sister, said following Monday’s news conference, “Like I said, it is bittersweet. We are really pleased. They (investigators) have been really awe-some... All I could say is, if he knows where she is, let us know, let somebody know, help us bring her home. In some ways I feel like it’s going to happen and in other ways I think we may not ever find her,” Hall said. “It’s been a bittersweet day. It’s good, we are relieved and we feel like it is a step forward. Sam Parker was a member of our family for 17 years. It’s tough also too. We have got some of the best people in law enforcement working for us. I know we do and I believe it is those men that made this happen. They are wonderful, absolutely wonderful”... Hall said Theresa is on her mind every day and she is thankful to the public for their prayers and concerns. Claire Careathers, Theresa’s mother, said, “We need to bring her home and everybody have closure. It’s been going on for long enough.”

Previous entries on the blog:

[NM] Terrorized wife of Co. Jail Top Cop Havel tries to recant

Excerpts from some items on the web from Jan. 15th thru Feb. 2nd:
...Havel's wife said he grabbed her hair and began choking her, then got a gun and threatened to shoot her and himself when she tried to leave the family home Jan. 11. Eventually, Havel told her she could go, but threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the fight...

(There is no mention below about the safety of Mrs. Havel or their five children.)

Jail director arrested on domestic violence charges
The Farmington Daily Times
By James Monteleone
01/15/2008
FARMINGTON — San Juan County Detention Center Director Tom Havel was arrested Sunday on felony charges after allegedly beating his wife and holding her against her will while fighting over a divorce. Havel, 54, is charged with second-degree kidnapping, third-degree aggravated battery and third-degree intimidation of a witness. If convicted on all charges, the detention center director could face up to 15 years in prison... Havel's wife claimed that Friday evening, he dragged her by her hair repeatedly while trying to prevent her from leaving their home... After pulling his wife from the car back into the house, Havel began choking her, saying, "Do you realize what I can do to you?" and "I can kill you now," the victim told police. The woman said she escaped the hold by kicking Havel in the groin, but was pulled back from the doorway by her hair, where Havel reportedly said, "We are not done talking yet. We need to finish talking." Havel attempted to pull his wife to a back bedroom, where he had his gun and had cocked it, threatening to kill himself in front of her earlier in Friday night's fight, the report states. While being dragged by Havel who had a gun, the wife told police she went limp, and Havel stopped pulling her. But after another attempt to escape, he grabbed her again, she told police. Havel later told her she could leave, but allegedly said, "If you tell anyone about this I will hunt you down and kill you." The police report dated Sunday stated officers would contact Havel for an interview before seeking an arrest warrant... Havel was released from custody at the San Juan County Detention Center after posting a $40,000 bond. He is on paid administrative leave... The role Havel plays in San Juan County's legal system presents a conflict of interest for prosecuting attorneys, District Attorney Lyndy Bennett said. "Various people in our office do work fairly closely with Mr. Havel, so we just thought it would be in everyone's best interest, including his, that we conflict the case out"...

Wife of Farmington jail director asks that charges be dropped
The Associated Press
01/18/2008
The wife of the San Juan County Detention Center's director has asked prosecutors to drop a domestic violence case she began against him... She said in a notice to the court Tuesday that the incident was a private matter that was blown out of proportion and that she wanted charges dismissed. She also said in the affidavit that she was not threatened into signing the document. Her affidavit was filed in magistrate court through Tom Havel's attorney, Sarah Weaver. Weaver and Havel had no comment Thursday. The district attorney's office said charges won't necessarily be dismissed. "We believe if a crime happened, especially a serious crime, then we have an obligation to present it to the court," Chief Deputy District Attorney Dustin O'Brien said. "We do get affidavits of non-prosecution in domestic cases on a fairly regular basis"... According to a Farmington police report, Havel's wife said he grabbed her hair and began choking her, then got a gun and threatened to shoot her and himself when she tried to leave the family home Jan. 11. Eventually, Havel told her she could go, but threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the fight...

The real meaning of honor, courage
01/26/2008
Editor: This is written on behalf of all who want desperately to voice this shared opinion, but are forced not to do so for fear of "retaliation." In all my years as an officer, I thought I had seen it all until now. When I transferred to the county jail here, I was amazed that the division I joined was run by a man who — to the best of my knowledge — had never actually worked in a jail, although to his credit he does have law enforcement in his background. Tom Havel always pushed his "core values" on the entire division, values which he had retained from his military service and even had painted on the walls at one point for the inmates to see every day, values we were all expected to adhere to: honor, courage, and commitment... We who wore and continue to wear that badge can do nothing short of our best each and every day. We do not claim to be perfect, and have made our own share of mistakes, but we never place ourselves up on a high pedestal, only to fall flat on our faces as Tom Havel has now. My only hope is that justice will prevail and the community's trust in those who wear that uniform, despite everything bad in the papers, will be restored. That is commitment. A man who abuses his position for personal gain has no honor, a man who abuses a woman has no courage, and a man who does not care that his cowardice has brought dishonor upon his entire division staff shows that he has no commitment to their cause...

Writer: `What goes around, comes around'
02/02/2008
Editor: It couldn't have happened to a more deserving person... "Jail director arrested on domestic violence charges." San Juan County Detention Center Director Tom Havel finally got his turn... I'm sure Tom Havel has heard the old familiar saying, "What goes around, comes around." This is a time when the saying fits the crime, and it couldn't be more fitting...

[GA] Officer Daley shoots Officer Phillips for getting in his domestic attack

Off-duty Duluth police officer Jay Matthew Daily of Sugarhill stepped out from behind a vehicle and shot Fulton County Police Officer Paul Phillips when Officer Phillips stopped to help the woman being assaulted by Officer Daily. Gunfire was exchanged and both officers were wounded.
(Officer Phillips is one of my heroes now.)

...Daily was reportedly involved in a physical altercation with a female who drove a gold SUV... Police are unsure what relationship Daily had with the female motorist or what triggered their confrontation. The woman was assaulted and was hospitalized for minor injuries "sustained before the shooting began"... witnesses said they saw Daly in the middle of an altercation with a female motorist. "The gentleman was banging on her window, trying to get into her window"... the driver's side window of the woman's car was shattered and the woman had blood on her hands... "We're in just as much in shock as anyone," said Woodruff, the Duluth police spokesman. "I can't believe this. He was such a quiet, laid-back officer"...

Officers wounded after shooting at each other in Gwinnett
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By ANDRIA SIMMONS mailto:asimmons@ajc.com
Published on: 02/01/08
[Excerpts] Two off-duty police officers, one from Duluth and the other from Fulton County, wounded each other during an exchange of gunfire Friday afternoon in a quiet north Gwinnett County suburb. Fulton officer Paul Phillips, 37, and Duluth officer Jay Daily, 42, were recovering from non-life-threatening injuries Friday evening at Gwinnett Medical Center, said Cpl. Illana Spellman, spokeswoman for the Gwinnett County Police Department. Daily, a member of the Duluth force for five years, was charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer... The gunbattle erupted about 1 p.m. on a two-lane road in Sugar Hill after a resident flagged down Phillips, a department veteran of at least 10 years who was wearing his uniform and driving a marked police car down Level Creek Road to his home... Phillips got out of his car and was immediately confronted by a man standing next to a stopped vehicle... The man started shooting at Phillips, hitting him once, and Phillips returned fire... Police later learned the other man was Daily, an off-duty Duluth police officer dressed in civilian clothes. [Duluth Police Chief Randy] Belcher said Daily had been a good officer who recently received several commendations from the public. Other officers saw Daily in court Friday morning and detected no problems, Belcher said... Kathy Santry said she was driving to work from her home nearby when she saw a woman in a vehicle lean out the window and scream for help. She stopped, as did one other motorist. Santry said when she walked up to the woman's car, she noticed the driver's side window was shattered and the woman had blood on her hands. Santry immediately got on the phone with 911. She was talking with a dispatcher when the Fulton officer drove by, so she flagged him down. Moments after the Fulton officer got out of his car, he drew his weapon and started shouting at a man who was standing behind Santry on the sidewalk... Santry said she ran for cover as gunshots started flying, and when she looked up again both officers were lying wounded on the ground... Fulton County, Duluth and the Gwinnett County Police Department will each lend a hand in the investigation...

Off-duty cops get in gunfight
Duluth, Fulton County officers shoot, wound each other
Gwinnett Daily Post
By Josh Green
2/2/2008
[Excerpts] ...Daily was reportedly involved in a physical altercation with a female who drove a gold SUV. A witness saw the confrontation happening and flagged down the Fulton County officer as he drove by... The two police officers exchanged multiple gunshots in the roadway, hitting each other. Both were later transported to Gwinnett Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said. Police identified the Fulton County officer as 37-year-old Paul Phillips... Gwinnett police are investigating the case and have charged Daily with aggravated assault... The Fulton County officer was in surgery, while Daily was being questioned and detained in an emergency room... Daily, who lives in the area where the shooting occurred, was off-duty and in civilian clothing but was wearing a bulletproof vest... Jenifer Stavrow lives in the nearby Vanderbilt subdivision, where she heard "about 12 shots"... Police are unsure what relationship Daily had with the female motorist or what triggered their confrontation. The woman was assaulted and was hospitalized for minor injuries "sustained before the shooting began"... A blue Crown Victoria appeared abandoned near the crime scene, but Spellman couldn't confirm that the vehicle belonged to the Duluth officer... (Daily) was on foot at the woman's vehicle... Sugar Hill resident Kenny Ferrall survived the scare of his life when bullets screamed past him Friday, he said. Ferrall was traveling Level Creek Road on his way home from a grocery store when he was caught in the crossfire. His Toyota Tacoma was struck by stray bullets - popping his left front tire, creasing his driver's door and blasting two holes in his rear quarter-panel...

Fulton, Duluth Cops Shoot Each Other
The Associated Press
2/2/2008
[Excerpts] ...At 1 p.m. Friday, witnesses said they saw Daly in the middle of an altercation with a female motorist. "The gentleman was banging on her window, trying to get into her window," said witness Chuck Sheldt. "He pulled out a gun." Investigators said a Fulton County officer, on his way home stopped to help. He was wearing a uniform, and driving a marked car. Witnesses said Daly fired first, then the Fulton County officer returned fire... Both men have non-life-threatening injuries. Meanwhile the Duluth Police Chief has suspended Daly without pay.

Police officers recovering after shootout; warrant issued
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By RHONDA COOK mailto:rcook@ajc.com
Published on: 02/02/08

[Excerpts] ..."I've seen people snap. I've seen incidents where people felt like their lives are passing them by," Don Woodruff, a spokesman for the Duluth Police Department, said Saturday. "But to see a police officer do this is just unreal"... He stopped to help a woman who was leaning out of her parked car and yelling for help, according to Gwinnett police. That's when police say a man in civilian clothes, later identified as Duluth police officer Jay Daily, 42, jumped out from behind the woman's car and began shooting at Phillips, hitting him once. Phillips returned fire... The unidentified woman who cried for help was arguing with Daily before Phillips pulled over... the driver's side window of the woman's car was shattered and the woman had blood on her hands. An arrest warrant was issued for Daily, said Cpl. Illana Spellman, a spokeswoman for the Gwinnett Police Department... Spellman said she did not know the name or the extent of the injuries of the woman seen arguing with Daily... "We're in just as much in shock as anyone," said Woodruff, the Duluth police spokesman. "I can't believe this. He was such a quiet, laid-back officer"...

Sunday, February 3, 2008

[FL] Hollywood Police Officer Shawn Charles' mom and girlfriend both recant. (Hmmm...)

Hollywood police officer acquitted of assaulting girlfriend
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
By John Holland
January 29, 2008
[Excerpts] Broward jurors took less than 30 minutes Monday to acquit a Hollywood police officer charged with slapping his girlfriend, but whether he returns to his old job won't be decided any time soon. Shawn Charles, 29, was accused of pushing and attacking Barbara Holgate two years ago at the Miramar home they shared, knocking his mother over during the assault. Prosecutors brought two misdemeanor battery charges - one for each woman - but Charles' first trial in September ended in a hung jury, and his mother recanted and said her son never attacked her or Holgate. That forced prosecutors to drop her as their star corroborating witness this time, leaving only Holgate, who said Charles poked her in the eye with two fingers and slapped her in the face... Holgate also changed her story during testimony last week, further hampering the case. She had earlier told prosecutors an enraged Charles knocked a hole in the bedroom wall that evening. But on the stand, she said the hole was old... "This really is a case that shouldn't have been brought. It's just a waste of everyone's time and money," said Alberto Milian, Charles' attorney. Charles faces trial next month on misdemeanor charges he tossed a baby's car seat during another argument with Holgate, striking her as it bounced. He has been assigned to administrative duties for two years, collecting full pay but not permitted to carry a gun. Sgt. Manny Marino said Monday the department is "monitoring" Charles' court cases but has not determined what action it will take...
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety recant recanted california state politics]

[NJ] Officer Sonya Mullins killed by blunt force trauma, fire. Help her family!

Victims, please, do not break up and go where the one you fear can find you. Remember Sonya and let her death help save your life. Then her death will at least give life to others.

Sonya Mullins fundraiser
Bridgeton News
By AMANDA HAMM
February 01, 2008
A fundraiser is being organized for the family of Sonya Mullins, a 42-year-old corrections officer who died in a fire Jan. 25, that was started by her ex-boyfriend. The event will be held Feb. 10, at the Marino Ballroom, 11 Washington Ave., from 1 to 5 p.m. Anyone interested in attending the fundraiser, which will include a buffet lunch, is asked to bring an item that can be donated to Mullins' family, including food, toys, baby items and gift cards, according to Joe Scarpinato, of the Marino Ballroom. Mullins had just recently moved with her daughter and two granddaughters, ages 7 months and 3 years old, into the Rosenhayn home that was destroyed in the blaze. Her ex-boyfriend, fellow corrections officer Donnell Logan, 40, has been charged with murder and other offenses relating to her death. For more information about the fundraiser, call 455-7792.

Officer charged in arson death
Gloucester County Times - NJ.com, NJ
By Matt Dunn
January 29, 2008

[Excerpts] A South Woods State Prison corrections officer was formally charged Monday with murder in connection with the arson-related death of his ex-girlfriend last week. Donnell Logan, 40, was charged with purposely and knowingly committing murder, felony murder, two counts of aggravated arson, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence, and burglary, all relating to the death of 42-year-old Sonya Mullins. Mullins, who was also a South Woods corrections officer, died of asphyxia due to smoke inhalation and blunt force trauma to the head and neck in a house fire Friday in Deerfield Township. Logan and Mullins had lived together on Morgan Avenue but broke up several days before the fire...

Arrest in fire fatal
By SANDRA JOHNSON
Bridgeton News
Monday, January 28, 2008
[Excerpts] ...Friday, the state medical examiner's office autopsy results noted that Mullins, 42, died of asphyxia due to smoke inhalation and blunt force trauma to the head and chest... Logan and Mullins had been in a relationship and lived together in her home but broke up several days before the fire... Mullins, who had been a corrections officer for South Woods State Prison for 10 years, had just moved into the one-story home in December on her birthday... She lived at the home with her daughter and two granddaughters, who were not at home at the time of the fire...

Court Outburst Occurs During Fatal Arson Suspect's Hearing
Ex-Boyfriend Arraigned Monday
NBC10
January 28, 2008
[Excerpts] ...Prosecutors revealed Monday that they believe Logan used bleach to try to destroy evidence. A judge raised his bail from $250,000 to $500,000, but for the victim's relatives that still wasn't good enough. "I want to go the (expletive) out. That's (expletive) up. I'll never see my mom again. He should have no bail," the victim's daughter yelled in court Monday. Emotions exploded in court, as loved ones of Mullins came within feet of her ex-boyfriend... The couple had recently broken up... Logan severely beat Mullins, then set her Deerfield Township home on fire early Friday morning... Both Mullins and Logan worked as corrections officers at South Woods State Prison in Cumberland County. Logan was arrested Sunday at a friend's house in Bridgeton. He was charged with murder, felony murder-arson, aggravated arson, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence and burglary, police said. Neighbors said they were stunned. "He made me feel that he was just as distraught as everybody else was," Davis said. Davis said Logan appeared to be grieving just feet from the burned-out house Friday, as investigators combed the area for clues... In a statement, the administrator at South Woods State Prison said the tragedy has touched everyone there and called Mullins an extremely reliable and well-respected officer who was loved by her peers. Logan did not enter a plea in court Monday...

[IL] Officer Bolding's charges should include threatening to kill his family

...he picked her up by the neck. He reportedly told her he could easily kill her and her family and get rid of the bodies. He then used a police control move to bend her wrist back and pushed on her chest with such force that she had difficulty breathing...

Officer's tactical moves from police training should be felonies when used outside of work.

UI police officer accused of domestic violence
Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette,
By Mary Schenk
February 2, 2008
[Excerpts] A University of Illinois police officer accused of battering his wife Thursday has been placed on leave following his arrest. Champaign County Sheriff Dan Walsh said Curtis Bolding, 49, of the 1400 block of East Grand, St. Joseph, was arrested by deputies Thursday night... According to [Assistant State's Attorney Chris] Kanis, Bolding's wife had returned home about 4 p.m. after being gone all day and became upset with Bolding because he was drunk and hadn't cleaned the house. That led to an argument during which Bolding tripped over a chair and fell, knocking out two front teeth or caps, Kanis said. Bolding then blamed his wife for that, grabbed her by the collar and shoved her. Both of them fell and he picked her up by the neck. He reportedly told her he could easily kill her and her family and get rid of the bodies. He then used a police control move to bend her wrist back and pushed on her chest with such force that she had difficulty breathing, Kanis said. She was able to get free from him and call one of his off-duty co-workers, who contacted deputies. Kanis asked that as a condition of his bond, Bolding have no contact with his wife or their home and that he surrender any firearms to the sheriff... Judge Jeff Ford set Bolding's bond at $1,500 and ordered him to be back in court Monday. Bolding, who was released within an hour of court, is expected to be charged with misdemeanor domestic battery. Kanis said there was no indication Bolding's wife was seriously injured... Bolding told the judge that co-workers had already taken his guns out of the home... Bolding was placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of a departmental investigation into what happened.

[WV] Sheriff goes to son, Deputy Alkire, after son shoots during domestic, and?

A special prosecutor is investigating claims that a Pocahontas County deputy who is also the son of the sheriff fired his department-issued pistol at his girlfriend's house. Robert Alkire II, who is the son of Pocahontas County Sheriff Robert Alkire, was taken to the hospital after the Nov. 30 incident... After the shot was fired, Sheriff Alkire arrived on the scene to deal with the incident... According to a file in the Pocahontas County Circuit Clerk's office, charges may not have stopped with the younger Alkire. Robert Ray Alkire's father, Sheriff Robert Alkire, may have "compounded a felony" (strike a deal)...

MARLINTON, WEST VIRGINIA
THIS VIDEO IS OF THE COUNTY COMMISSION NOT ANSWERING A CITIZEN'S QUESTIONS AFTER THE SON OF POCAHONTAS COUNTY SHERIFF ROBERT ALKIRE, SHERIFF'S DEPUTY ROBERT ALKIRE II, SHOOTS HIS GUN DURING A DOMESTIC WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND:

"...SO HE WILL CONTINUE TO BE PAID - ACCORDING TO THIS STATEMENT?... IS HE UNDER ARREST? BOBBY ALKIRE, THE SHERIFF'S SON, IS HE UNDER ARREST? WANTON ENDANGERMENT IS A FELONY. IS THE SHERIFF UNDER ARREST?..."
VIDEO BY: ETATER
(Norman Alderman)

(If the deputy's girlfriend is who I think she is, she is a Lt. in public safety. I've chosen to not name her on the blog.)

Sheriff's son, a deputy, arrested
MARLINTON - The son of Pocahontas County Sheriff Robert Alkire, a sheriff's deputy himself, was arrested for a Nov. 30 incident where he allegedly fired his department-issue pistol unsafely.
Charleston Gazette
January 29, 2008
[Excerpts] The son of Pocahontas County Sheriff Robert Alkire, a sheriff's deputy himself, was arrested for a Nov. 30 incident where he allegedly fired his department-issue pistol unsafely. Special Prosecutor Dan Dotson said Robert Alkire II was charged Friday with one count of WANTON ENDANGERMENT for the incident. Bail was set at $3,000... Pocahontas County Prosecutor Walt Weiford said he asked for a special prosecutor after learning that West Virginia State Police wanted to interview him about the incident. Robert Alkire II, "HANDLED HIS DEPARTMENT ISSUE PISTOL IN AN UNSAFE MANNER AND FIRED [IT] IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT CREATED A SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF DEATH OR SERIOUS BODILY INJURY TO ANOTHER," according to the criminal complaint filed in Pocahontas County Magistrate Court... According to local newspaper The Pocahontas County Commentator, the younger Alkire drove to a woman's house in Marlinton and was in uniform when the incident occurred. After the shot was fired, Sheriff Alkire arrived on the scene to deal with the incident, according to the paper. Dotson said Robert Alkire II was placed on administrative leave shortly after the incident. Dotson said he didn't know if he is still on administrative leave.

Deputy sheriff charged with wanton endangerment
The Pocahontas Times
Pamela Pritt, Editor
January 31, 2008
[Excerpts] ...According to Special Prosecuting Attorney Dan Dotson, Alkire turned himself in Friday and was released on $3000 surety bond. The deputy was never jailed, according to magistrate clerk records... According to a file in the Pocahontas County Circuit Clerk’s office, charges may not have stopped with the younger Alkire. Robert Ray Alkire’s father, Sheriff Robert Alkire, may have “compounded a felony,” according to the file. However, [Special Prosecutor Dan] Dotson said Tuesday that was not the case. Dotson said “based on interviews conducted Friday, no criminal sanctions” will be filed against the sheriff. No hearings have been set... If found guilty, Alkire II may face a definite term of one-to-five years in a state penitentiary, be fined $250-$2500, or both...

Special prosecutor looking into allegations against sheriff's son
Charleston Daily Mail
Friday February 1, 2008
[Excerpts] A special prosecutor is investigating claims that a Pocahontas County deputy who is also the son of the sheriff fired his department-issued pistol at his girlfriend's house. Robert Alkire II, who is the son of Pocahontas County Sheriff Robert Alkire, was taken to the hospital after the Nov. 30 incident. Robert Alkire II got into a verbal altercation with his girlfriend... It was in the street that Alkire fired his department-issued weapon... "It was not fired at anybody in a malicious manner," [Special Prosecutor Dan] Dotson said. Alkire then went into [the girlfriend's] house... Police were called and Sheriff Robert Alkire arrived on the scene... Sheriff Alkire did not return a phone call Thursday regarding this story. "The sheriff responded to the scene in Marlinton. At that point in time [Robert Alkire II] was in a medical situation," Dotson said. "The sheriff and a deputy came to transport him to a medical facility. They were unsuccessful." The sheriff couldn't get his son to go to the hospital, Dotson said. Dotson declined to specify the "medical situation." Emergency workers arrived on the scene and were able to transport Alkire to Pocahontas Memorial Hospital, Dotson said. Alkire II was placed on administrative leave immediately... Sheriff Alkire then talked to Marlinton Police Chief Everette Tinney and prosecutor Walt Weiford and told them what happened and that he couldn't be involved anymore, Dotson said. "The sheriff placed him on administrative leave, then talked to the city police chief and he provided him with more specific information as to what occurred. And then he talked to the prosecutor and said, 'Hey, I can't have anything to do with this. Someone else needs to come in and look at it'"... Sheriff Alkire was interviewed for about 90 minutes by Huddleston about his role in the incident, Dotson said. "He did, of course, play a dual role. He handled it both as a father and a sheriff and he handled them both correctly," Dotson said. "If we thought there was any type of coverup, charges would be brought"... Other charges could be filed...

Sheriff Off the Hook in Shooting Incident
E-Tater Forum
Norman Alderman
Jan 31, 08
[Excerpts] Dan Dotson, the special prosecutor called me this evening and told me that no charges are anticipated against Robert Alkire Sr. When asked why Alkire was not being charged, Dotson explained that the initial investigation had been turned over the Chief of Police Lee Tinney of Marlinton and because of Alkire's yielding to the town policeman there would be no charges of a coverup. Some had wondered why Alkire Sr. was not charged with obstruction of justice because he took such a great time to investigate the matter and in fact never did investigate the matter. The state police from out of town had to come in and conduct the investigation... The Pocahontas Times indicated this week that their was a possibility of "COMPOUNDING A FELONY." This is roughly the same as being the person who hides the fugitive in his/her barn. Most people would think of it as an "accessory after the fact." In this case, Alkire is supposed to have sent his son to "rehab". Of course, there has been rumor that he actually hid his son out at the Marlinton Motor Inn... COMPOUNDING A FELONY IS WHEN a person catches someone in the act of committing a crime and the catcher makes an offer of some valuable consideration for ignoring the breech of law. In this case, was some offer of consideration make by one of the investigating officers? Perhaps one of these two persons will be eager to explain what is going on here...
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal west virgina state brotherhood relative politics brass]