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.
XXXIX. The "Almost" Murder at the Mar-Gre Motel
I do not remember the year this happened, but it must have been about 1980 or thereabouts. I was not involved in the action...but an emergency call came in to Eden, PD that there was an armed man who was going to kill a woman at the Mar-Gre Motel, room xxx.
Detective Jerry Wayne Pulliam was close as was Eden Police Officer Bryan Wallace and Eden Police officer Jerry Channey (the son of chief deputy Melvin Channey). These officers responded to room xxx of the Mar-Gre Motel and found that a man named Jefferson had been at the motel with a lady he had met and...an unexpected boyfriend had shown up with a pistol. Jefferson had fled to the office and called police as the boyfriend had broken down the door.
When Eden Detective Jerry Pulliam arrived, he found the suspect standing inside the room with a pillow held to his chest, Pulliam drew his weapon and ordered the suspect to put his hands up. When the suspect raised his hands, he dropped the pillow and a 41. calibre "Bull-Pup" pistol fell onto the pillow. The suspect had been there to murder the woman and her man. Detective Pulliam, Officer Wallace and Officer Jerry Channey took the man into custody....This was not an unusual call...and this is what you pay your cops for......would you do this for nine dollars an hour????