news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=730&show=localnews&NewsID=798664EXPLOSIVES FOUND IN SAM PARKER'S LOCKER
Originally appeared in Walker County Messenger, 04/13/2007
LaFayette police Sgt. Sam Parker, a “person of interest” in the case of his missing wife Theresa Parker, was fired because he had explosives in his locker, Public Safety Director Tommy Freeman said Friday.
Freeman said that a search conducted by Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents last week revealed some blasting caps and a small amount of C-4 plastic explosive in Parker’s personal locker at the LaFayette Police Department.
Freeman said he did not know why the explosives were there. “But it put the members of this department and my fire department in jeopardy, and that type of conduct will never, ever be tolerated as long as I’m the chief of police or the public safety director.”
The materials were removed by a GBI bomb specialist. Freeman said the amount would have be
Sgt. Sam Parker en enough to destroy the locker room.
According to Freeman, in the course of an internal investigation on the matter Parker, a 20-year police veteran, claimed that the material was given to him some 12 or more years ago and that they belonged to the department.
“I have found no record that the LaFayette Police Department has ever purchased explosives for any reason,” said Freeman, who has been on his job just four weeks ago. He said that Parker gave no explanation of why he had the explosives or why they were in his locker.
“Nobody in my department is trained in explosives,” Freeman said, adding that in his 32 years in law enforcement he has never known any police department to have this type of explosive for any reason.
Freeman said that the GBI also searched the locker of Cpl. Harbin “Ben” Chaffin, who was arrested April 2 for making false statements to investigators in the Theresa Parker case, but that nothing of substance was found.
Although his action to terminate Parker resulted from the GBI search, Freeman said it is in no way related to the Theresa Parker investigation.
After the explosives were discovered, Freeman recommended Parker’s termination to City Manager Johnny Arnold. City policy allows five days for an appeal, which is why Parker was placed on suspension April 5. Parker did not appeal.
In addition to department policy, Freeman said that the possession of explosives without licensed certification is a violation of state law as well.
“To my knowledge, (Parker) has no certification or anything of that matter to have explosives,” he said.
As to possible criminal charges against Parker for the explosives, Freeman deferred to the GBI and Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson.
Wilson said that GBI agents have talked with district attorney Herbert “Buzz” Franklin, and that such charges are a possibility.
“But at this point our focus is still on finding Theresa Parker,” Wilson said. “It is not our main goal to charge Sam Parker for explosives.”
Freeman said as far as he knows no other officers had knowledge of the explosives. “They were upset somewhat, and understandably in that they didn’t realize they were being placed in harm’s way inside our own department.”
With Parker gone and Chaffin out indefinitely on suspension without pay, Freeman is down to 16 officers including himself. “It throws a kink in our operational procedure, but I want to assure the people of this city that we still have adequate manpower on the street.”
He’s had to shift his personnel around, and said that sometime next week he plans to put out notice of an open position in the police department. Freeman said that effective Sunday, April 15, Cpl. Randy Hicks, a 12-year veteran and K-9 unit officer, will be promoted to the rank of sergeant to replace Parker.