UPDATED @ 9:23 PM FBI: No evidence of systematic drug planting by Dothan PD - Report By The Dothan Eagle July 20 2019

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
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Date: Jul 20 2019 8:48 PM

DOTHAN AL: A two-year probe by the FBI into allegations of systematic planting of evidence by the Dothan Police Department failed to generate a single substantiated case, according to a 38-page FBI summary.

RSN

Published in The Dothan Eagle, a great article detailing the investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ). The FBI Agents remained in Dothan Alabama for more than one year. Dothan Police Chief Steve Parrish gave them full access to Dothan Police Department and internal and external access to files needed within the Dothan Police Department for the FBI Investigation.

The allegations were made by Jon Carroll and joined by a group of others to include Ruth Nelson, Keith Gray, Ramonica Carney, Kevin Saffold and others. Jon Carroll was able to make his blog look official and the Southern Poverty Law Center, if I remember correctly, sent out a Twitter message on Jon Carroll's allegations. The SPLC later retracted their endorsement of the allegations of Jon Carroll.

But Chief Parrish immediately took the initiative on his own and requested the FBI to come to Dothan and conduct a thorough investigation into any and all allegations made against Steve Parrish and/or any one with the Dothan Police Department. Never confirmed but always have heard Chief Steve Parrish made the request to the FBI, and then made the City Manager aware of his request. Chief Parrish never asked for permission for the invitation to the FBI, he told the City Manager and Commission he had already made the request.

NATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION

The allegations against Dothan Police Department by this group brought Dothan Police Department and Dothan Police Chief Steve Parrish front and center of the national spotlight. Media like Washington Post and New York Times came to Dothan and looked into the allegations made against Dothan.

The National Media quickly learned the details of those making the allegations and they moved on rather quickly.

DOTHAN POLICE CHIEF STEVE PARRISH

Dothan Police Chief Steve Parrish will get very angry with staff when two steps forward are made and something is done wrong that causes then to make 5 steps backwards.

Chief Parrish believes and is a firm enforcement of accountability and transparency. And I have had the opportunity to witness some of that, some of which I am unable to write about, during my service on the City of Dothan - Houston County Communications District Board. Because I have personally seen him in action, I know he stands behind the beliefs. I would love to write about the details but because of seeing it in those shoes I dare not cross the line of details.

But I can tell you this for sure, Dothan Police Chief Steve Parrish does not just " talk the talk" he firmly "walks the walk".

FORMER DOTHAN MAYOR MIKE SCHMITZ, DOTHAN COMMISSION PAST AND PRESENT, RETIRED DOTHAN CITY MANAGER MIKE WEST, PRESENT DOTHAN MAYOR MARK SALIBA

Shortly after Dothan Mayor Mike Schmitz and the Dothan Commission appointed Steve Parrish as Police Chief this group raised their head and started tearing Dothan apart.

Chief Parrish made his move with asking for the investigation. Then Dothan City Manager Mike West, UNCONFIRMED BUT FROM RELIABLE SOURCES, then Mayor Mike Schmitz and members of the Dothan Commission were not asked could be make the request for the FBI to come to Dothan and investigate. They were told after Chief Parrish asked for the FBI to come in.

And West, Schmitz, James Reading/Kevin Dorsey, Amos Newsome/Janesky Fleming, Albert Kirkland, Mike Schmnitz/Mark Saliba, John Ferguson, Beth Kenward, David Crutchfield and others that held District 6 Commission seat have never waivered on their support of Chief Parrish and Dothan Police Department.

And the FBI Summary report obtained by The Dothan Eagle and Lance Griffin did a fantastic article in detailing the investigations by the FBI.

THE DOTHAN EAGLE

The summary, obtained by the Dothan Eagle through a Freedom of Information request and dated July 15, 2018, documented more than 40 interviews conducted in 2016 and 2017, a few months after a local blog post alleged a widespread conspiracy in the department to plant drugs on black residents. The blog post was retweeted thousands of times and gained some national attention.

Dothan Police Chief Steve Parrish requested an FBI probe in response to the allegations. Agents with the FBI interviewed more than 30 people in two days at the La Quinta Inn in Dothan on June 28 and 29, 2016. Only a few of those interviewed alleged evidence planting. The rest leveled a variety of other complaints including excessive force, wrongful prosecution, inadequate legal representation, overly punitive sentences, and police retaliation. The FBI then conducted additional follow-up interviews in the following months and reviewed associated cases. The FBI supplemented the fresh interviews by reviewing previous complaints made to police related to evidence planting.

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UPDATED @ 9:23 PM

Through TEXT RICKEY STOKES 334-790-1729 someone text me the following question "kind of goes against your statement of accountability and transparency if you are unable to write about it...seems as if it kept hush hush if unable to state what it is being transparent". A fair question.

The reason I feel that I am unable to write about it is, my knowledge was in an open meeting of the 911 Board, EMA or Deputy Coroner in Henry County, not when I was present as media. Because I had a different hat on and am not the person in charge, details it is not my job to release. Most of the things I am talking about is items that have come up while sitting as a 911 Board Member.

If I was the "person in charge", of which one year I served as Chairman of the City of Dothan - Houston County 911 Board, then it is somewhat my decision to discuss with the media. As a board member, that decision rest with the Chairman not me as a Board Member. Not trying to hide but you somewhat follow that chain of leadership unless given permission to step outside that chain.

As Deputy Coroner in Henry County I responded to a wreck one day where three people were killed. The first you ever saw on RSN was a press release from ALEA - Trooper Division. I was not there as media but was there as Deputy Coroner and the information released needs to be through the appropriate sources. But I did not want to blur those lines.

Same with EMA. If in my EMA role I am told or hear certain information that other media are not allowed access to, then I will never disclose it as media because not my role. While some information all media have the equal access to as I do, then I can act as media.

That is a lot of confusion even for me. But it depends which particular hat I am wearing when I find out certain information. And I dare not cross that line.

I probably picked the wrong wording when I wrote it. I am not really talking about any particular item. What I was actually referring to as something would come up questioning if something was done correct or incorrect. Chief Parrish has always been one of the first to say let's have someone look into it, let's get the detailed facts.

My reference is about Chief Parrish and the leadership of the Mayor and Commission during those times in question.

The person and I, through text,discussed things and officers decades ago. And I will not debate his theory on some things back when Wiregrass Commons was Billy's Trailer Park, Max Jones Farm Equipment was where Compass Bank is at Montgomery Highway and Ross Clark Circle.

We are discussing things now and the last several years and I am referencing what is the last decade.

BTW...I only have their phone number and no name associated with who I was even texting with. So it was a open discussion and I really do not care their name. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

My not discussing was no particular issue in mind, just depends on what hat I was wearing when I became aware of something and did any other media have free access to what I knew.

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