2:22 Napier Field – Is It Law Enforcement or Extortion of Money By Law Enforcement and Napier Field Judge

by Rickey Stokes | Feb 15, 2025 | Breaking News

NAPIER FIELD ALABAMA:      Is it law enforcement and court justice or law enforcement and court extortion? IGNORANCE OF THE LAW IS NO EXCUSE – is that something law enforcement and the court states to citizens, or does that statement apply to law enforcement and the court system?

Recent www.rickeystokesnews.com investigations into law enforcement, Magistrate and Municipal Court Judge in Napier Field has brought some major questionable activities in this Dale County municipality. Napier Field was incorporated in September 1968. The square miles for the own is listed as 0.3 square miles. The 2022 population is listed as 413. The town officials are Mayor Thomas “Buddy” Skeen, Council Members Charles Klein, Greg Seay, Bill Day, and Marlin (Prince) Petersen. The Town Clerk is Traci Ballard and the Napier Field Police Chief is Charles Duncan.

The Napier Field web site reflects the Napier Field Police Department as having a Chief of Police and Investigator Aaron Cook, Patrol Officers Daniel Sanders, Officer Milton Martin, and Officer Virgil Westrick.

The municipal court judge for Napier Field is a private practicing attorney Barbara Wallace Wade. She once served as Municipal Court Judge in Daleville but no longer serves there. She is in private law practice in Ozark, Alabama.

ISSUE:     The Town of Grimes, which is 1.25 square miles with a population listed as 459 in 2000, once contracted with Napier Field to handle their law enforcement duties. According to information provided, the Town of Grimes cancelled that contract and contracted with Midland City to handle the law enforcement duties for Grimes. However, Napier Field Police are reported to continue to make traffic stops and issue citations in Grimes City limits. According to the Town Clerk of Napier Field it falls within the police jurisdiction of Napier Field.

Grimes is a small municipality and has 1.5 square miles of police jurisdiction outside their city limits. For Napier Field Police to reach the city limits of Grimes they have to cross the city limits of Dothan. And a definitive answer has not been given if the 1.5 miles of police jurisdiction exists if you have to cross another municipality. The Napier Field Town Clerk, very rudely, states Grimes is inside Napier Field Police jurisdiction. RSN has been unable to get a definitive answer from someone with legal knowledge. All of the revenue from tickets issued by Napier Field in Grimes City Limits goes to Napier Field and court cases are before Napier Field Municipal Court Judge Barbara Wallace Wade.

ISSUE:    Dothan Municipal Airport and Wallace Community College are situated in Dale County but are in the city limits of Dothan, Alabama. Recently Napier Field Police made a traffic stop on Airport Avenue and Daniels Drive. These are in the city limits of Dothan. Dothan Airport has a police department. The person stopped refused the field sobriety tests the Napier Field Police Officer wanted to conduct and refused to answer questions from the Napier Field Police Officer. The person stopped is not required to answer the questions “RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT” and are not mandated by law to take the field sobriety test. The traffic stop also falls under the same question RSN has been unable to get a legal answer to: does Napier Field have jurisdiction in the City Limits of Dothan Alabama? The Napier Field Police Officer arrested the man and placed him in the Dale County Jail. The officer set a $2,500 cash-only bond.

IGNORANCE OF THE LAW IS NO EXCUSE applies to law enforcement and the court system also. A municipal law enforcement officer has ZERO authority to set a bond in a municipal court case in excess of $1,000. So the bond set by the Napier Field Police Officer was an illegal bond, and the Napier Field Police Officer had no legal authority to do so.

Napier Field Municipal Court Judge Barbara Wallace Wade attempted to hold an initial appearance sometime later through ZOOM but was unable to do so; the municipal judge instead held it in just a phone call. Apparently the Judge realized the Napier Field Police Officer had violated the law himself and the Judge changed the $ 2,500 cash-only bond to a $500 cash-only bond. However, in review of the Rules of Criminal Procedure regarding bonds, the defendant did not fall under any circumstance where the bond justified a “CASH ONLY” bond. Arrested on Friday, finally on Sunday the Defendant paid the $500 cash-only bond. Then when he went to get his vehicle it was at a wrecker service in Ozark. He found out he was required to pay to Napier Field a $500 cash IMPOUND FEE plus $300 to the wrecker service in order to get his car. The car was not in any impound lot belonging to Napier Field but was located at the wrecker service. So Napier Field charged $500 impound fee for calling a wrecker.

ISSUE:      Recently a lady was reported to have been stopped in Napier Field. The lady had moved here and had an out of state license plate, reported to be current, on her vehicle. She had never registered her vehicle locally because the license plate was still current. According to information provided Napier Field Police had her car impounded by the same wrecker service as the above mentioned. The lady was charged a $250 IMPOUND FEE by Napier Field and the wrecker service charged a $250 fee for towing the vehicle. Again this vehicle was at the wrecker service in Ozark and never at any impound lot of Napier Field.

THE QUESTION REMAINS … the pattern and practice of Napier Field Police, is it law enforcement or extortion of money by Napier Field Police and Napier Field Municipal Court?

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS HAVE ARREST AUTHORITY in other jurisdictions. That is without question. An example, Dothan Police arrested a man near Cottonwood one night. A legal arrest. However the case could not be placed in Dothan Municipal Court but had to be placed in Houston County District Court. The Napier Field Police Officer could make an arrest, but the question remains, do they have the jurisdiction to place it in Napier Field Municipal Court rather than Dale County District Court? Are the actions called CASH REGISTER LAW ENFORCEMENT or serving and protecting as it should?

Napier Field has very little commercial business to finance the police department. They can get revenue from the cash only-bonds when arrests are made and the impound fees. The City of Dothan, a certified law enforcement agency, does not charge an impound fee, and they have limits on the fees a wrecker service can charge for the tow of the vehicle.

NAPIER FIELD POLICE ORDER REFLECTING THE ILLEGAL BOND SET AT $2,500 CASH ONLY

THE RED DOT IS WHERE THE TRAFFIC STOP WAS MADE, NOT IN THE MUNICIPAL CITY LIMITS OF NAPIER FIELD, BUT IN THE CITY LIMITS OF DOTHAN ALABAMA

1:15 PM Dothan Police Chase Ends With Suspect Wrecking and Unable To Outrun On Foot

by Rickey Stokes | Feb 10, 2025 | Breaking News

DOTHAN:     12:53 PM     Dothan Police Officer Chris Watson activated his blue lights on a gold colored passenger car on Fairlane Drive.

The driver of the gold-colored passenger car had a misunderstanding what a black and white Ford Explorer with blue lights and siren behind you meant. Apparently he thought that meant pedal to the metal.

Dothan Police Officer Watson called in a pursuit. The gold-colored passenger car traveled Selma to Alexander, and east on Alexander. Apparently the driver of the gold-colored passenger car thought he could make the turn or forgot Alexander dead ends in front of Circle Pharmacy.

The driver struck a utility pole in the center of the car, and again, the driver had a misunderstanding. He apparently thought since he had a sudden stop, that meant to bail out and run.

But, do not run from Dothan Police Officer Chris Watson. Joined by Deputy Bennefield of Houston County Sheriff’s Office and other officers, the suspect was unable to outrun on foot. The suspect was apprehended and placed in a Dothan Police Ford Explorer.

What most likely started as a traffic citation has now ended up with the black male suspect with one or more felonies.

Dothan Police are handling the investigation. The suspect will be transported to Dothan City Jail and more than likely onto the Houston County Jail. The primary offense, after the activation of Officer Watson’s lights and siren, is STUPIDITY!

05:01 AM Jeff Street In Dothan – Working Structure Fire

by Rickey Stokes | Feb 9, 2025 | Breaking News

DOTHAN:   04:00 AM    Dothan 911 hit the alert tones at 4:00 AM, Structure Fire, 305 Jeff Street in Dothan.

Jeff Street runs off West Newton Street off North Park on the east side.

At the time of reports to Dothan 911 and on arrival of the first Dothan Fire Engine Companies, smoke and flames were visible. Occupants were reports to have exited the residence. This was a offensive attack.

Dothan Police were on the scene. Dothan Utilities dispatched. Pilcher Ambulance on the scene. ( NOTE:   No one to transport, THANKFULLY, so a run Pilcher Ambulance responds to but no one to bill for service ).

The first Dothan Fire Engine Company arrived at 4:05 AM. ( NOW, THAT IS FROM ASLEEP AT THE STATION AND AT 4:00 AM THE TONES HIT, FIRE BRADCAST THROUGH THE STATION, INTO THE FIRE ENGINE, DOORS UP, ENGINE STARTED AND ON THE SCENE. )

On arrival of the first Dothan Fire Engine Company reported smoke and flames visible, offensive attack, instructed the second engine company to connect to a water supply. The water supply was laid into the Jeff Street scene from West Powell Street

Dothan Fire Battalion Chief Jack Wood was in command of the scene. Dothan Fire Deputy Fire Chief Pete Webb was on the scene.

04:55 AM    Dothan Fire Prevention Officer ( Investigator ) arrived on the scene.

04:48 AM    Fire was announced under control.

04:55 AM    Dothan Fire is in the salvage and overhaul phase.

Houston County Sheriff updates on brutal hammer attack in Lovetown; suspect in jail with no bond

by Rickey Stokes | Feb 7, 2025 | Breaking News

Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza gave an update to the brutal assault of a woman in Lovetown Thursday.

Police and emergency response units were notified of a woman covered in blood lying in the front yard of a residence yesterday. She was taken to Southeast Health with traumatic injuries.

It’s believed the suspect in the early hours Thursday broke in to the victim’s home through the back door of the residence — appearing to have pried the door open — while the victim was in bed watching television.

Valenza said the suspect entered the bedroom and began a vicious assault, striking the victim several times with a claw hammer in the face, back of the head and chest.

Valenza noted the victim was struck multiple times with the hammer. He said it was amazing the victim survived after the seriousness of her injuries.

The victim lost consciousness but eventually came to and made it to a neighbor’s yard on Woodland Road before falling unconscious again. It’s unclear when she regained consciousness before neighbors discovered her in the yard when they woke Thursday morning.

Latarius My’lik Dale, 30, of Cowarts, was quickly identified as a suspect. He had been involved in a single-vehicle accident shortly after the time of the assault and was also taken to Southeast Health with minor injuries.

Dale and the victim were married but had been separated several months, and they have a young child together. The child was not in the house at the time of the assault.

Dale previously had a misdemeanor domestic violence charge from 2023, but that charge was dropped by a judge after the victim did not cooperate. It was not yet been confirmed if the victim of the previous domestic violence charge is the same from Thursday’s attack, but it is believed the victim is the same.

Dale was charged with first-degree domestic violence and first-degree burglary. He’s being held in the county jail with no bond on conditions of Aniah’s Law. Law enforcement took him from the hospital straight to the jail.

The victim still has very serious injuries. Sources say the victim got a protection order from Dale after Thursday’s assault.

9:37 PM Overturned On West Cook Road – Taylor

by Rickey Stokes | Feb 6, 2025 | Breaking News

TAYLOR:      9:05 PM     Houston County 911 dispatched a critical motor vehicle accident at West Cook Road and Highway 605. Reports of a single white vehicle overturned.

Rehobeth Fire – EMS, Taylor Fire, Houston County Sheriff Department and ALEA – Troopers responded.

On arrival no one was around the vehicle. The vehicle was laying on the driver side. There was a car seat inside and EMS and Fire searched the vehicle and area surrounding in order to make sure no one or no child was trapped inside or ejected. No one was found.

ALEA – Troopers are investigating the accident. Taylor Mayor Billy Snell and Taylor Vice Mayor/Councilman Merritt Carothers were also on the scene.