Russellville Police Are Just "Special"

 

If the Russellville Police Department squared off against the Franklin County Sheriff's Department, whom would you support? Apparently several citizens visiting the Franklin County Courthouse recently had a chance to pick sides in what was described as a screaming match that almost came to blows.

In a nutshell: The sheriff's department controls the courthouse. As in most counties, COVID precautions are causing delays, and Franklin County recently had would-be courthouse patrons lined up half a block awaiting admittance. Up pranced a Russellville police detective who attempted to circumvent the line, being special and all. When deputies assigned to control admittance refused the officer entrance, she became belligerent.

"Do you know who I am?" the detective was heard to say. Here the deputies should have guessed Reese Witherspoon, but reportedly merely said they didn't care. The verbal altercation continued until supervisors from both camps were called. Sheriff Shannon Oliver supported his deputies, while Chief Chris Hargett took the side of the detective.

Our take? This is certainly not the first time we've heard complaints about Russellville officers and their feelings of entitlement. We rarely hear anything negative about Oliver and his department. 

And just what was the Russellville detective seeking at the courthouse? Reportedly it was some vehicle paperwork that could have been instantly transmitted electronically to the police station. No one ever said Russellville officers were that bright...

So Long, J.J. (For a While, Anyway)

When last we left John James Common, aka J.J., he was being held in Franklin County on two distribution charges. After refusing a plea bargain of 25 years, J.J. recently had his day in court, but not without some drama before getting there.

According to our source in the Russellville Police Department, the evidence in one distribution charge was ostensibly lost. Nothing surprising there. While awaiting trial on the remaining distribution arrest, J.J. was transferred to Colbert County where he set fire to his cell after learning his main squeeze had been arrested.

It seems that to pass the time, J.J. had developed a lucrative business selling drugs and shoes to other inmates. (Yes, shoes...we don't make this stuff up.) While trying to smuggle still more drugs during visiting hours, J.J.'s girl, already on probation, was caught with enough merchandise to merit her own distribution charge. Colbert County promptly shipped J.J. back to Franklin County--big surprise there, while the misguided young woman was transported to Athens.

Now J.J. has agreed to a plea deal involving a 20 year split sentence. Unless called back by Judge Terry Dempsey, and we sincerely doubt that will happen, J.J. will serve a full three years and one day, less time served. Then our man J.J. will face five years of probation.

What will happen if J.J. should slip up during the five year span? It would mean Franklin County's favorite son would serve the remainder of the 20 year sentence, unless paroled, which would seem very unlikely.

Related post: J.J. Common

Shoalanda

The Case of the Buried Baby?

On January 4th of this year, Mark Austin Windham, 57, took his own life at his residence. Now the Russellville home located at 82 Hunterwood Circle is the scene of a search for gruesome remains. The diminutive Windham was a registered sex offender who had been convicted of sexually abusing an adult female in Florida in 1978.

A Russellville detective has indicated his department received at least two tips concerning the possible illegal burial(s) in the home's back yard. One account concerned a recent burial, while the second reported a burial that occurred almost four years ago. Windham, whose father was reportedly a physician, was rumored to have harbored runaway girls for varying periods of time.

Cadaver dogs have hit on at least one site in the back yard of the Hunterwood Circle home; excavations will continue tomorrow. Who reported Windham? Our source did not divulge that, but no matter who, it's now too late to ask Windham why.



Shoalanda

Another Called Meeting in Cherokee Today?

From a reader on yesterday's blog:

The Cherokee Council checking with the Attorney.... HA! The Attorney was sitting right there when they made the motion to begin with.... every time he's ask a question, his response is "I don't know".... The Mayor ask him 3 or 4 questions at the last regular meeting and it was always "I don't know".... Yes, they're paying an Attorney that doesn't know anything about Municipalities...but that's how the Burger King Four like it.... so they can do whatever they please... they're having to call yet another special meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) because he didn't know the answer to a previous question.... Oh well, par for the course...

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Worst case scenario:

You're lying in bed at 3:00 a.m. when you hear a prowler. You dial 911 and ask for the Cherokee Police, a department that has only three officers. One officer is sick, one is out of town for a funeral, and the only remaining officer has gone home and is asleep. You're told a sheriff's deputy from Tuscumbia will be at your home as soon as is humanly possible. The prowler is in your home and you're having to wait for a deputy from Tuscumbia...

Isn't it about time the citizens of Cherokee demanded to know where their tax dollars are being spent? Starting with the suspected missing $11,000.00 in fuel?

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The man involved in a standoff situation in Russellville last night has been identified as Robert E. Saint of 196 Ash Avenue. Our sources say Saint is a former Russellville police officer and at one time headed their dive team. Saint's family was reportedly never in danger.

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Harvey Knotts of Huntsville (yes, we know that's a little far afield for us) has just been charged with ten counts of the sexual abuse of a minor. Mr. Knotts was a primary school teacher in the city system and is now on PAID leave. If that doesn't get your dander up, it seems Mr. Knotts has previously faced identical charges in Bermuda and is currently wanted there for evading prosecution.

How? Why? Alabama is notorious for not doing thorough background checks on its teachers. Perhaps this debacle will shake things up at the state department of education...



Shoalanda

Special Report: Jeremy Shane Hall Arrested

Friday afternoon, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation arrested Sgt. Jeremy Shane Hall of the Russellville Police Department and charged him with three counts of sex abuse of female prisoners. ABI Regional Commander Larry Flippo and Alabama State Trooper Curtis Sommerville announced the arrest just after 2:30 p.m. Hall is currently being sued by five (one has just been added) former prisoners who have accused him of similar crimes:

Twenty Million in Law Suits

The 33 year-old Hall and his wife Tabatha live in Phil Campbell and reportedly have one son. A short bio of Hall:

A source at the Russellville Police Department has expressed surprise at the investigation into Sgt. Jeremy Hall. The Alabama Bureau of Investigation has refused to name Hall as the subject in their investigation, but Police Chief Chris Hargett has no such qualms. Hargett has said "some strong allegations are being made" against Hall.

Before joining the Russellville force in June 2003, Hall worked as a deputy for the Franklin County Sheriff's Department where he had a sterling record. Hall has served as commander of the Explorer program, an endeavor that seeks to bring teenagers into police work. In December 2009, Hall was honored by Mayor Troy Oliver for his role in apprehending the suspect in a string of pharmacy robberies that spanned three counties.

Hall was booked into the jail where he once worked. It should be pointed out that as director of the Explorer Program, Sgt. Hall came in contact with young teenage girls; this is very disturbing. Our source has indicated that more charges with be forthcoming, but all will involve former prisoners. While this is unsettling enough, we hope our source is correct in believing no high school students were involved.

The Search Goes On: Jobs and Tombstones

If you read the TimesDaily regularly, you've noticed that many in local law enforcement jump from job to job faster than a pouncing cheetah. Is there anything wrong with this? That depends.

Obviously law enforcement isn't immune to the "pass the trash" game, conversely nothing is wrong with trying to better oneself and support one's family. We've recently mentioned that three positions will be open this spring in the Lauderdale Sheriff's department. For those who are interested in what should be very long-term jobs, the listing for two deputy openings (one current deputy will be made chief deputy) has now been published on the Alabama Job Link:

Deputy Sheriff
Posted: 03/22/2011
Updated: 03/23/2011
City: Florence, AL Locate
Source: Alabama JobLink
Job Number: 653823
Drive vehicles or patrol specific areas to detect law violators, issue citations, and make arrests. Investigate illegal or suspicious activities. Verify that the proper legal charges have been made against law offenders. Execute arrest warrants, locating and taking persons into custody. Record daily activities and submit logs and other related reports and paperwork to appropriate authorities. Patrol and guard courthouses, grand jury rooms, or assigned areas to provide security.

Note: We're sure the listing for administrative assistant will also soon be published. If it should be inadvertently omitted, qualified individuals should feel free to contact the Lauderdale Courthouse for an application. Good luck to all qualified applicants.

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Sources in Russellville tell us a fifth woman has been added as a plaintiff in the suit against the Russellville Police Department, presumably bringing the total amount involved to 25 million. A second source has informed us that the city's liability policy would not cover such an amount, assuming the suit is successful. The source further stated that such a suit could bankrupt the town.

Related post: Russellville Hit with Law Suits

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The news from Mary Carton's quest to return five missing tombstones has turned more sinister. It seems the two she has identified came from different cemeteries in different counties.

The marker for Liddie House Gray had been removed from the North Carolina Church of Christ Cemetery in the Killen/Greenhill area of Lauderdale County.

The marker for W. W. Weatherford came from the Old Burleson Cemetery in Franklin County.

Ms. Carton is still attempting to locate the home of at least two other stones: Isaac Gray and Margaret Stidham. A third stone was positioned in such a manner that the inscription could not be read.

This is not the first time grave markers have been dumped at Rosedale Farms; those responsible should be held accountable and punished to the fullest extent. Good luck to Mary, Colbert County Sheriff's Department, and WAAY 31 in returning these monuments to their proper place.



Shoalanda