AHS students suspended,
1 may face criminal charges

About a dozen students at Asheville High School have been suspended and one may face criminal charges in the wake of a series of fights that forced the school’s closure last Thursday.

School administrators said they might suspend more students after reviewing surveillance camera footage of the fights.

One of the students involved may be charged with simple affray and disorderly conduct, according to police spokeswoman Melissa Williams.

Meanwhile, classes resumed as normal on Friday, with enhanced security provided by Asheville police officers.

The school was closed after at least two fights broke out following a pep rally for the boys’ basketball team.

School administrators briefly placed the school on a soft lockdown, locking all doors and keeping the students in classrooms.

Administrators later chose to end classes at 1:30 p.m., two hours before the normal end of the school day.

No one was injured in the fights, which were broken up by teachers and staff members. Furthermore, no faculty members reported being pushed or struck.

The high school has been working to increase the number of security cameras and develop emergency training using grant money from the Safe Schools Consortium.

2 ex-Medford allies plead guilty to gambling charges

Two more former allies of ex-Buncombe County Sheriff Bobby Medford have pleaded guilty to charges related to illegal gambling in Western North Carolina.

Jack W. “Jackie” Shepherd, a longtime political supporter of Medford’s, pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling business last Friday.

Former sheriff’s Lt. Ronnie Eugene “Butch” Davis pleaded guilty to all 11 charges against him on Friday.

The two men join 23 other defendants who have pleaded guilty in the federal government’s sweeping investigation into allegations that Medford and his deputies extorted money from illegal video poker machine operators.

Medford and former reserve Capt. Guy Kenneth Penland are scheduled for trial March 25.

Davis, 60, pleaded guilty without an agreement from the government, unlike most of the defendants, who have pleaded guilty and agreed to testify in exchange for lowered sentences.

Davis’ attorney submitted an eight-page court filing, in which he said that Davis personally gave Medford money from video poker operators for his re-election campaign, with the full knowledge that Medford was pocketing the money.

Davis also admitted to ignoring complaints from the public about video gambling under orders from Medford. At the time, Davis was the officer responsible for regulating the industry in Buncombe County.

His attorneys have requested a plea deal, but so far, the government has not offered one. If he does not get a reduced sentence, Davis could face 95 years in prison.

Shepherd could face five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Furthermore, he forfeited two properties, the Cherokee Trading Post and Billy Jack’s Flea Market, where he kept video poker machines and instructed his employees to make illegal payments to winners.

He also had to give up $684,854 in revenue he made through the illegal gambling operation.

Meanwhile, Stephen Lindsay, Medford’s attorney, has asked the court for transcripts of the guilty-plea hearings for Davis, Shepherd and former Lt. John “Johnny” Harrison, who pleaded guilty on Feb. 27.

Lindsay has called into question the credibility of the government’s witnesses.

Prisoner dies in custody
at Buncombe County jail

Buncombe County detectives are investigating the death of an inmate at the Buncombe County Detention Center, who was found dead in a holding cell early last Monday.

Investigators believe the man died of natural causes, but an autopsy has been ordered.

The inmate was identified as Tommy McMahan, 53, a homeless resident.

McMahan’s body was found about 6 a.m. during a head count of the prisoners in custody. Jailers had last checked on him about 4:30 a.m., at which time he was fine, according to jail officals.

He had been arrested by Asheville police Sunday morning at the address of Mission Hospital on a misdemeanor charge of second-degree trespass.

Officials stated that McMahan had not been in any struggle with the center’s staff and had not had physcial contact with other inmates.

City launches new program
to track crimes in Asheville

The Asheville Police Department on Feb. 22 released a new Web-based program for tracking crime in the city.

The new map shows where crimes take place by street and neighborhood.

The goal of the Asheville Crime Mapper is to provide users with a means to query, view and research crime statistics in the city, according to a city press release.

Crime Mapper can be found at www.ashevillenc.gov/mapAsheville.

Man charged with killing
three dogs after argument

An Asheville man was arrested Feb. 26 on three counts of felony cruelty to animals after he allegedly shot and killed three dogs following an argument with his children about their lack of care for the animals.

Police say Sheldon Wesley Johnson, 41, of Mount Carmel Place, was drunk when he killed two pit bull puppies and a Dalmatian about 1:30 a.m. Neighbors said they heard five shots being fired.
Johnson was being held at the Buncombe County Detention Center on $30,000 bond.

Officers responded to 572 reports of animal cruelty in Buncombe County last year, according to Lt. Helen Hall, supervisor of the Buncombe County Sheriff Office animal control division.

Leicester resident arrested
for son’s school absences

LEICESTER — A Leicester man was arrested Feb. 26 on charges that he let his 5-year-old son miss 27 days of school.

Vinson Dewayne Surrett, 34, claims that the kindergartner has chronic bronchitis and had been to visit the doctor at least twice a month for illnesses.

Some of the doctor’s notices for Surrett’s son were rejected because they were signed by a nurse, not a doctor.

Surrett posted bond on an unrelated larceny charge and was not jailed for the truancy charge.

School officials noted that unexcused absences have been on the rise in the district, prompting a review of the school board’s policies.

Under the current rules, a school can seek school attendance violation charges after the 10th unexcused absence. The school system  can file those charges throguh juvenile court or the magistrate’s office.