Newspaper Page Text
Local/Region
Attorney questions role of
school security in probe
From page one
ceived a letter reportedly writ
ten by Ms. Scurry — implying
improprieties on Mr. Smart’s be
half, the investigation process
accelerated, Richmond County
School Superintendent Dr.
Charles Larke said outside the
courtroom.
- “The board had previous in
vestigations (in progress),” he
said, adding that Mr. Smart
had an existing file with the
(reorgia Professional Practices
Commission in Atlanta.
“When it came up again, we
followed up on it.,” said the
board’s top administrator.
The school patrol’s eventual
follow-up led to Ms. Scurry and
her mother filing a police re
port at the Law Enforcement
Center on May 31. Mr. Smart
turned himself in to authori
ties on June 25 after being no
tified of warrants for his ar
rest.
Mr. Larke accepts responsi
bility for the school’s investiga
tion.
“I gave them (Safety Depart
ment) a directive toinvestigate.
He (Coach Smart) is a board
employee. I don’t want anyone
to accuse us of being in favor of
Mr. Smart, or attempting a
coverup.
“Afterall, he’s innocent ‘til
proven guilty. That’s why I let
him keep teaching and coach
ing football. That has nothing
to do with basketball,” Mr.
Larke said.
Still, Mr. Long contends that
since Ms. Scurry was 19 and
had already graduated from
Laney when the August 5, 1995
incident allegedly occurred, the
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Larke accepts responsibility for role of
school security division.
investigation should have im
mediately been undertaken by
the Richmond County Sheriff’s
Department. ¢
The role of Board of Educa
tion investigator Jackie Turner
was also questioned on the
stand. Questions about a re
corded phone message involv
ing the coach and another
player proved critical towards
Ms. Turner. In addition, one
unidentified woman said a
member of the board’s investi
gation team garnered a state
ment from her daughter with
out getting her (the mother’s)
permission.
Chief assistant solicitor Sheryl
Jolly represented the state pros
ecution team tasked with proving
Mr. Smart guilty. She noted Ms.
Scurry as a past Miss Laney win
ner and honor student.
At one point when Mr. Long
was about to question a wit
ness concerning Ms. Scurry’s
“reputationin the community,”
Ms. Jolly objected. Judge
Hamrick sustained the
prosecutor’s motion and a re
cess followed.
Another major point in the
trial occurred when Mr. Long
confirmed from Ms. Scurry that
she had written and addressed
a letter to a friend threatening
to damage the coach in some
way if he (Mr. Smart) didn’t
pay the two women money.
Upon taking the stand on
Wednesday, Mr. Smart ap
peared well-groomed, and
spoke confidently about his in
nocence. He often made eye
contact with the jury. A num
ber of witnesses from varying
professions — including past and
present school administrators —
spoke on behalf of the coach and
Student nabbed
for being armed
By Timothy Cox
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
A 14-year-old student was ap
prehended by local authorities
after bringing a gun onto school
property.
According to Winnette Brad
ley, principal at the Richmond
County Alternative School, 1000
Turpin Street, the weapon was
taken from the student around 9
a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, after an
otherstudenttold ateacherabout
the weapon.
“We're fortunate nothing worse
happened. And, we commend the
other student for being brave
enough to tell us what was going
on,” said the principal.
According to law enforcement
officials, the boy had some dis
agreement with the teacher and
may have attempted to use the
.25 mm handgun as a way of
intimidating the female staff
member.
Major Michael Farreli, Board
of Education public safety direc
characterized the man as having
an “excellent reputation.”
The seven-member jury and al
ternate consisted of four white
males, two black females and one
white female. A misdemeanor jury
only require six members as op
posed to the usual 12-member staff.
tor, said Officer Anthony Johnson
has been assigned as full-time
security officer at the school
which temporarily houses stu
dents with disciplinary problems.
Sixty-five students are currently
enrolled at the school.
Ms. Bradley took over princi
pal duties this school year.
“I have no regrets about the
position. It’s a challenge, but the
students need positive attention,”
said the woman who worked 13
years as the principal at Murphy
Middle School.
Major Farrell said hand-held
metal detectors are also part of
the school’s security strategy.
The Board of Education police
force consists of 30 officers, of
which three are female.
Carrying a gun on school
grounds warrants an automatic
suspension, Ms. Bradley said.
After about a year atthe Youth
Detention Center, the boy would
be allowed to return back to
school, said Major Farrell. “We're
not going to just throw him
away.”
AUGUSTA FOCUS October 10, 1996
s
Worker
stabbed in
face with
pencil
ASubwayrestaurantemployee
told police he was stabbed by a
man toting a pencil.
According to reports, at about
2 p.m., Tywand Daniel Jackson,
19, said a black male walked into
his store, located at 2834 Wash
ington Road, and stuck him in
the face with the pencil. Police
did note a small hole on the left
side of Mr. Jackson’s face. The
employee apparently knew his
attacker.
The suspect is identified as
Alonzo Parham, 21, of 2426
Castlewood Road, Augusta.
Armed robbers target
local businesses
By Timothy Cox
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
et en S BRI INEE e
Armed robberies were reported
at the Golden Corral steak res
taurant on Peach Orchard Road
and a Texaco gas station on Gor
don Highway.
Both incidents happened Oct:
7. According to Golden Corral
employee Harlow Dickey, at
about 12:10 p.m., two black males
wearing hooded black jackets and
sunglasses confronted him in the
restaurant’s parking lot.
The men brandished a semi
automatic handgun and de
manded an undisclosed amount
of money from the worker’s
money bag.
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Augusta Focus at 724-7855.
(The following information
is based on area law
enforcement reports and
press releases.)
No arrests were made follow
ing the October 2 incident.
Man charged
for claiming
to be officer
Employees at the Augusta Mall
location of Macy’s department
store reported to police that a
man has falsely identified him
self as a Richmond County
Sheriff’s Deputy.
According to reports, Gabriel
Mendez told the workers he was
a police officer. Columbia County
Sheriff s Deputy Bruce Walker
then notified Richmond County
authorities about the false claim.
No arrests were reported follow
ing the Oct. 8 incident.
The men escaped in a brown
vandriven by a third black male,
the report said.
Later that evening, police re
ported a Texaco station, located
at 1237 Gordon Highway, was
stuck up by a black male de
scribed as slim, with an un
combed Afro hairstyle. ;
After pointing a black revolver
at station employee Dianne
Roberson, 41, the suspect de
manded money from the cash
register and left the business.
The suspect was last seen on
foot running from the gas sta
tion. An undisclosed amount of
cash was stolen from the inci
dent location. The incident oc
curred around 10 p.m.
3