GRIMES: RSN was a witness to Napier Field Police Officer Sanders sticking his finger in the face of Grimes Mayor Jackie Kirkland and making threats.
NAPIER FIELD OFFICER SANDERS, YOU HAVE ALREADY PROVEN YOUR IGNORANCE OF THE LAW. AND IGNORANCE OF THE LAW IS NO EXCUSE !!!
There was a traffic accident at the intersection of Napier Field Road (Hwy. 112) and Parramore Road. This location is within the 1.25 square miles of Grimes City Limits. Napier Field Police Officer Sanders called out on the radio with the traffic accident. Midland City Police responded to work the traffic accident because the Town of Grimes contracts with Midland City to handle their law enforcement duties.
The contract at one time was with Napier Field, but it was changed because Grimes was not satisfied with the performance of Napier Field Police. However, Napier Field Police have refused to cease and attempts to continue to work Hwy. 112 and areas of both Grimes City Limits and Dothan City Limits.
Grimes Mayor Jackie Kirkland approached Napier Field Police Officer Sanders advising him this accident was in the city limits of Grimes, saying Midland City Police Department handles the law enforcement for the Town of Grimes. RSN was sitting on the sidelines watching everything and witnessed the Napier Field Police Officer Sanders putting his finger in the face of Mayor Kirkland. Later in conversation with Mayor Kirkland, she stated Officer Sanders threatened her with arrest if she did not get off “his” scene.
Mayor Kirkland walked back across the road, and moments later Napier Field Officer Sanders walked back across the road where the Midland City Police Officer was, along with additional accident victims and Mayor Kirkland. The Midland City Police Officer told Sanders that this was Midland City’s accident and he was working it. Napier Field Police Officer Sanders said, no, he was working the accident. About that time the Napier Field Police Officer received a phone call. Following the call, Sanders told the Midland City Police Officer he was turning the accident over to him and leaving, and he left.
The Midland City Police Officer then made a report of the threat made to the Grimes Mayor in the Town of Grimes in the event the Grimes Mayor wishes to swear out arrest warrants for Napier Field Police Officer Sanders for the threat.
A smaller law enforcement agency has 1.5 miles of police jurisdiction beyond their city limits, while larger departments, such as Dothan, have 3 miles of police jurisdiction outside their city limits. The officers can make arrest anywhere in the state, but the case must be placed in the court of jurisdiction. Napier Field has made arrests in the Dothan City limits and Grimes City limits placed the cases in the Napier Field Municipal Court.
While the areas are within the 1.5 miles of police jurisdiction, here’s the question that I have been unable to get a definitive answer to: what if the 1.5 miles goes into another city limits? The Town of Napier Field is only 0.3 square miles, while the Town of Grimes is 1.25 square miles. For Napier Field to reach Grimes, they have to cross Dothan City Limits. So far, no legal authority has been able to provide RSN with the legal answer to the question.
But Napier Field Police needs to understand, clearly, the Town of Grimes has contracted, legally, with Midland City Police Department to handle the law enforcement within the corporate city limits of Grimes. And I am one million percent positive that the City of Dothan has never contracted with and will never contract with Napier Field Police for law enforcement work within the city limits of Dothan.
DOTHAN-HOUSTON COUNTY: Houston County Commissioners D1 Curtis Harvey, D2 Doug Sinquefield, D3 Ricky Herring and D4 Brandon Shoupe voted to sell the Houston County Farm Center back in December 2021 to a Florida investor for $2 million. This issue surfaced without warning or knowledge to local potential investors.
RSN then found where the City of Dothan owned 16% of the some 40 acres of the Houston County Farm Center. This was a problem to the Houston County Commission. Despite their vote to sell the Farm Center, without the approval of the Dothan City Commission, it mattered not how the current sitting Houston County Commissioners voted on the sale.
This sale concerned all of the Dothan Commissioners, to include but not limited to D3 Dothan Commissioner Bradley Bedwell. It is District 3 where the Houston County Farm Center sits, and no one knew the plans of the Florida investor.
So the great minds on the Dothan Commission began working in what I would call one of the smartest and greatest surprise moves held at a Dothan Commission Meeting ever. In a surprise move, D4 Dothan Commissioner John Ferguson motioned to add to the agenda the purchase of the Houston County Farm Center. The motion was quickly seconded by D5 Commissioner Gantt Pierce. The motion passed.
D5 Commissioner Gantt Pierce is a practicing attorney. He then pulled a physical copy of the resolution out for the Dothan Commission to purchase the Houston County Farm Center from the Houston County Commission. Then-Dothan City Attorney Freddie Len White was in shock because he had no part in the preparation of the resolution. However D5 Gantt Pierce is a better lawyer, in my opinion then was Freddie Len White. The move caught everyone off guard. Except some of the commissioners to include D3 Bradley Bedwell. With the move of the commission it made D3 Bedwell feel better about the protection of District 3. The motion passed for the City of Dothan to purchase the Houston County Farm Center. This was March 2022.
The move of D4 Commissioner John Ferguson and D5 Commissioner Gantt Pierce, supported by other Commissioners, was probably the greatest move in the local government that I myself have witnessed. And all done to protect the City of Dothan/Houston County landscape of the prime 40-acre piece of property.
Come November 2022, longtime Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver retired, D2 Houston County Commissioner Doug Sinquefield did not seek re-election, D4 Houston County Commissioner was elected Chairman of Houston County Commission, with James Ivey taking over the position in District 4, and D2 Tracy Adams was elected to fill the vacancy from Doug Sinquefield. Realizing the lack of wisdom of their votes as commissioners in 2021, D1 Curtis Harvey, D3 Commissioner Ricky Herring and now Chairman Brandon Shoupe started re-thinking the sale of the 40-acre Farm Center and what could be done. Plans began about what to do with the property. But the first obstacle was seeking the City of Dothan to cancel their purchase of the Farm Center.
On May 2, 2023, in a 4 to 3 vote, Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba, D4 John Ferguson, D5 Gantt Pierce and D6 David Crutchfield voted to cancel the purchase of the Houston County Farm Center. D1 Commissioner Kevin Dorsey, D2 Commissioner Aristotle Kirkland and D3 Commissioner Bradley Bedwell voted against the purchase cancellation. D3 Commissioner Bradley Bedwell voiced concern with “the county in the driver’s seat, if it’s going to continue to be an eye sore, is it going to be maintained, I haven’t really gotten the answers to those yet… Other than it’s going to be in the county’s hands.”
D5 Dothan Commissioner Gantt Pierce stated “When we work in tandem, we can achieve great things and prospects we might have.”
Houston County began making moves. The Houston County Water Authority was moved to a building on South Oates Street from the building they occupied. Plans were drawn and bids for changes to the Farm Center dome. Bids taken and came in at $4.6 million. A new roof has been installed on the Farm Center dome and the sides removed. Work is underway to make a 39,000 square foot open space for such things as a Farmer’s Market. Other plans are in the works to get rid of other eyesores. Property was purchased on Prevatt Road to move the Houston County Department of Human Resources. The county is mandated by law to also furnish office space for DHR.
But it was the vision of the members of the Dothan Commission, the legal knowledge of D5 Commissioner Gantt Pierce, the experience of Dothan Senior Commissioner D4 John Ferguson, the desire of D3 Commissioner Bradley Bedwell to protect his district and the support of the entire Dothan Commission which saved the Houston County Farm Center.
NEW BROCKTON: 07:30 AM The Coffee County Sheriff Deputy assigned to New Brockton Elementary School all of a sudden came over the radio saying, “open the door – open the door”.
A person had struck the Coffee County Sheriff Deputy patrol vehicle with their vehicle. Deputies and New Brockton Police began responding when the School Deputy requested EMS and Fire, as the driver was alert but unresponsive.
Coffee County Sheriff Scott Byrd, Coffee County Sheriff Chief Deputy Michael Hines, others with Coffee County Sheriff Department and New Brockton Police responded. Enterprise Rescue and New Brockton Volunteer Fire Department responded.
The driver was transported by Enterprise Rescue to Medical Center Enterprise for treatment. New Brockton Police are working the accident.
NO STUDENTS WERE IN DANGER and as of this writing it appears a medical issue caused the person to strike the law enforcement vehicle.
COFFEE COUNTY: 2:11 PM Coffee County 911 dispatched Elba Fire, Enterprise Rescue, Elba Police and Coffee County Sheriff Deputies to a gunshot.
The location was 131 Tiger Drive in Elba. This is the Elba Board of Education. The reports to Coffee County 911 intially were a person appeared to be asleep in a vehicle. When units arrived it was quickly determined there was a gunshot wound and the person was deceased.
Coffee County Sheriff Scott Byrd, Coffee County Sheriff Criminal Investigators, Elba Police, Coffee County Coroner Arnold Woodham, Coffee County – Pike County District Attorney James Tarbox responded to the scene and the investigation started. Some questionable materials were found on the scene.
Elba Fire Department was on the scene. The materials found caused the Elba Fire Department to mutual aid request Dothan Police Bomb Squad and Dothan Fire Department Haz Mat Team to respond to the scene.
About 4:44 PM the bomb team began their approach into the scene to check the materials found. What the exact materials found to cause alarm are not known at this time but scene investigators used caution.
The investigation into the gunshot death was found to be self inflicted and an apparent suicide. The name has not been released and RSN does not normally cover suicide deaths. However the location and the need for bomb team and haz mat response is why this is covered.
The investigation continues into all of the facts and circumstances and what caused the apparent self inflicted gunshot wound.
But to the citizens, students and faculty of the school system there is not reason for any alarm.
MADRID: Houston County 911 dispatched Madrid Volunteer Fire, Hodgesville Volunteer Fire, Rehobeth Fire – Rescue, Houston County Sheriff Deputies, and ALEA – Troopers to a motor vehicle accident with injuries.
The location was Highway 231 South and Decatur Road in Madrid.
At the time of dispatch Houston County 911received reports two, possibly three vehicles involved in the accident and the extent of injuries were unknown.
On arrival of emergency units it was determined two vehicles were involved. There were three injuries in the accident and all three were transported by Rehobeth Rescue. The injuries were not reported to be life threatening.
ALEA – Troopers are in charge of the accident investigation.
COFFEE COUNTY: 7:19 PM Coffee County 911 has dispatched Coffee County Sheriff Deputies, Enterprise Rescue, Five Star Volunteer Fire Department and ALEA – Troopers to a motor vehicle accident with injuries.
The accident is located on Highway 167 and County Road 223 in the New Brockton area of Coffee County.
Reports to Coffee County 911, a single vehicle accident, roll over, with ejection. Reports are the patient is laying on the ground. The patient is complaining of shoulder pain and hurting all over.
Enterprise Rescue helicopter has been dispatched and has a 15 minute flying time to the scene. Coffee County Sheriff Department is establishing a landing zone now.
If more information comes available we will update. Anyone with scene pictures or additional information TEXT RICKEY 334-790-1729.
