Damascus Fires Police Chief

By Debra McCown
Reporter / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: July 8, 2008

BY DEBRA MCCOWN
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

DAMASCUS, Va. – The Damascus Town Council voted late Monday to fire Police Chief John Rouse.

At 11 p.m., the council’s vote was 3-3 and the tie was broken by Mayor Creed Jones, who repeatedly has called for the firing of the full department.

Steve McVey was appointed interim police chief and another officer, Ricky Stumbo, resigned in protest of the firing.

“I’m not working for a department I can’t trust. It’s that simple,” Stumbo said.

The vote came after a lengthy closed session in which the council discussed the performance of the town’s police force as the six employees of the department waited outside.

“I have to be here for the meeting until it’s over or until I don’t have a job, whatever comes first,” Rouse said around 10:30 p.m.

Earlier in the evening, shouting erupted during the council’s regular meeting when a 22-year-old college student asked for a councilman’s resignation.

Town resident Tony Williams said Councilman Jim Cartwright’s comments about him during a previous council meeting were inappropriate and “cast an ugly light” on the town.

“I have not seen Mr. Williams before,” Cartwright said in response. “I don’t know Mr. Williams by name. ... I did not call him a druggie.”

Williams and some of his family members, however, said they have the councilman’s comments on tape.

Williams said he made a complaint of police misconduct to the town’s police committee. He accused Patrolman Chris Shumate of entering his apartment and walking into his bathroom during the annual Trail Days festival in May. Williams said Shumate had no warrants and no reason to enter his home.

He said Cartwright threatened him with jail for making the complaint, in addition to calling him a “druggie.”

Cartwright said the committee is not the proper venue for the complaint.

After some fingerpointing, Councilman Lannie Greene apologized on behalf of the council for Cartwright’s comments. Other council members echoed the apology. Cartwright did not apologize during the meeting, but Williams said he did so later.

Shumate said the incident did not happen as Williams described, but he would not say what occurred. Rouse, the police chief, also would not comment and has refused to release police reports on the incident.

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