Cop Watch
10-14-2007, 10:39 AM
City Rehires Police Officer Fired for Indecent Exposure
(Columbia) – Forty-three year-old Lenard Paige is back with the police department after less than a year of absence.
Two Richland County deputies arrested Paige last November after the deputies and a female pedestrian spotted him standing completely naked in a business parking lot on Longcreek Drive. Paige was charged with incident exposure.
According to incident reports, when the deputies searched Paige's pickup truck they found an empty mini-bottle of liquor, a beverage containing alcohol and ice, clothing items, and a .038 caliber gun which had been reported stolen out of Richland County in 1998.
Former Police Chief Dean Crisp fired Paige soon after the arrest.
Months later, the charges were dismissed when the two deputies who arrested him failed to show up in court.
Interim Police Chief Harold Reaves says Paige reapplied for his old job. With a cleared record, he was given the same opportunity as any other applicant. On October 1st, Paige was rehired.
Reaves says he spoke with Paige directly about the incident, and was assured by the patrolman that it wouldn’t happen again.
“He has assured me that he will not place himself, the City of Columbia Police, or the city in any type of circumstance like that again,” Reaves said.
Reaves says Paige has over 15 years’ experience as a Columbia police officer, and had a good working relationship with other officers and the community.
Reaves says Paige’s explanation why he exposed himself on November 6th, 2006 was a “personal matter”.
Attempts to contact Paige by phone and at his Lexington County home were unanswered Friday.
“We hold our officers to the highest standards and we investigate and look at every circumstance. I’m very comfortable with Officer Paige’s assurance to me. If I was not comfortable with the assurance I was given or the circumstances surrounding the incident, I would have never rehired Officer Paige,” Reaves said.
While the case is closed for now, it may not be closed for good.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department is asking the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office to reopen the case.
Lt. Chris Cowan says there were extenuating circumstances that led to the deputies missed court appearance.
“The unfortunate thing in this situation is that the officer didn’t appear because he had passed away, and the other officer involved in the investigation left our department,” Lt. Cowan said.
Cowan says Richland County authorities would like the solicitor to take another look at the case.
“You have a person that has been victimized, a community that has been victimized. Any case that has been dismissed is of concern. We have a case, we have a victim, we have prosecution, so we want to make sure we connect the two and put this before the grand jury,” Cowan said.
Until that time, the police chief says he stands by his hiring decision.
“I’m sure the solicitor will notify me if in fact the charges are brought again. At that point, we’ll then act on the circumstances at that time,” Reaves said.
Deputy Solicitor John Meadors says he plans to meet with the former sheriff’s deputy who arrested Paige and decide where to go from there.
http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=54560&provider=top
(Columbia) – Forty-three year-old Lenard Paige is back with the police department after less than a year of absence.
Two Richland County deputies arrested Paige last November after the deputies and a female pedestrian spotted him standing completely naked in a business parking lot on Longcreek Drive. Paige was charged with incident exposure.
According to incident reports, when the deputies searched Paige's pickup truck they found an empty mini-bottle of liquor, a beverage containing alcohol and ice, clothing items, and a .038 caliber gun which had been reported stolen out of Richland County in 1998.
Former Police Chief Dean Crisp fired Paige soon after the arrest.
Months later, the charges were dismissed when the two deputies who arrested him failed to show up in court.
Interim Police Chief Harold Reaves says Paige reapplied for his old job. With a cleared record, he was given the same opportunity as any other applicant. On October 1st, Paige was rehired.
Reaves says he spoke with Paige directly about the incident, and was assured by the patrolman that it wouldn’t happen again.
“He has assured me that he will not place himself, the City of Columbia Police, or the city in any type of circumstance like that again,” Reaves said.
Reaves says Paige has over 15 years’ experience as a Columbia police officer, and had a good working relationship with other officers and the community.
Reaves says Paige’s explanation why he exposed himself on November 6th, 2006 was a “personal matter”.
Attempts to contact Paige by phone and at his Lexington County home were unanswered Friday.
“We hold our officers to the highest standards and we investigate and look at every circumstance. I’m very comfortable with Officer Paige’s assurance to me. If I was not comfortable with the assurance I was given or the circumstances surrounding the incident, I would have never rehired Officer Paige,” Reaves said.
While the case is closed for now, it may not be closed for good.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department is asking the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office to reopen the case.
Lt. Chris Cowan says there were extenuating circumstances that led to the deputies missed court appearance.
“The unfortunate thing in this situation is that the officer didn’t appear because he had passed away, and the other officer involved in the investigation left our department,” Lt. Cowan said.
Cowan says Richland County authorities would like the solicitor to take another look at the case.
“You have a person that has been victimized, a community that has been victimized. Any case that has been dismissed is of concern. We have a case, we have a victim, we have prosecution, so we want to make sure we connect the two and put this before the grand jury,” Cowan said.
Until that time, the police chief says he stands by his hiring decision.
“I’m sure the solicitor will notify me if in fact the charges are brought again. At that point, we’ll then act on the circumstances at that time,” Reaves said.
Deputy Solicitor John Meadors says he plans to meet with the former sheriff’s deputy who arrested Paige and decide where to go from there.
http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=54560&provider=top