By Michael D. Martin, E.C.P.D.
Retired
About the author...Michael Martin (pictured front row, far right in the
1981 photo) is a retired veteran of 25 years on the Eden City Police
Department, and has penned a number of anecdotal writings recalling his
experiences.
LVI. James A. Parker, North Carolina Highway Patrol
Jim Parker was killed in the line of duty, John
Smith III taught him to fly a helicopter and he was flying over the area of
Lake Reidsville, looking for a field of Marijuanna when he flew into a
power line. Trooper Parker and Trooper Hackett were killed instantly...this
was Hackett's first ride in a helicopter.
When the word came, I was on duty and sped to the
wreck site and stood on the side of the road and cried like a baby. Trooper
James A. Parker was a legend in Rockingham County Law Enforcement. Jim
Parker and Sgt. Hackett had tried to recruit me for the North Carolina
Highway Patrol School, I was married and Bobbi had no enthusiasm for living
in Lumberton, Sparta or Monroe...Things were shaky because we moved from
Bassett, Virginia to Spray....
Now, for the funny part.....you know by now, there
is going to be a funny part. I joined the Spray Police
Department in 1966.....Parker was already a legend, as was Mo
Varner... fat Vestal and were working one late night when
we got a call that Parker was on 770 North above "The Red Barn
Saloon" and needed some assistance, We were less than a mile away and
sped there expecting a fight....The Red Barn was famous for
those.......usually, it was deputies calling for help....this time it was
NCSHP...We knew this was gonna be a hellova fight.....Fat and I passed thru
Moyertown at eighty MPH, fearing that Parker was in a struggle. There were
two bars up the road about a mile and a fella could get himself killed at
either....order a beer and take your choice.
Parker was standing beside his cruiser, Meeks was
in the rear seat and Parker explained, he just needed me to drive Meek's car
back to the stationhouse. I happily agreed since I knew I was not going to
have to fight six or seven rowdy drunks. So far, so good....Parker left with
the drunk driver, Fat left following him and I left in Meek's car.....about
a quarter mile down the road...
I felt something wet under me....It got worse, I
realized Meeks had peed all in his seat and I was sitting in it...nothing to
do but drive to the station, sitting in a pool of pee. When I got to the
Spray station, Fat had taken Meeks in to the Magistrate and Parker was
standing in front of his cruiser laughing so hard he could not stand up
straight....he knew. I had to go home in the middle of the night and change
clothes.......but I still cried like a baby when Parker was killed.
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to: Funny, Funny Stories From my days at Eden, P.D.