2010
04.03

Monday evening residents living along Bell Rd. in Noble were run out of their homes for several hours as officers of the Sheriff’s Office dealt with an armed man who had fired a shot (or shots) in the woods after threatening to commit suicide. Traffic through the area was also disrupted by law enforcement officers who apparently felt the man was a danger to himself and others.

Typically a stand-off between deputies and an armed man would be headline news, with the suspect identified almost immediately and the Sheriff appearing on Chattanooga TV at 11:00 to take credit for his disarmament. But in this case there was no TV coverage at all, and only one written report which didn’t come out until 36 hours after the incident ended.

That one news report provided only minimal details, quoting Sheriff Steve Wilson as saying the suspect was “a former Sheriff’s Office employee” who “had an emotional episode” without revealing his name or any specifics about what he had actually done to warrant evacuating an entire neighborhood. This smelled a bit fishy and made us curious about who the suspect actually was and why the SO would go to so much trouble to protect his identity.

We have confirmed that the unnamed suspect is Major Hill Morrison, who voluntarily took early retirement from the Sheriff’s Office last year. Morrison entered law enforcement in 1977, working with Steve Wilson at the LaFayette Police Department. He transferred to the Sheriff’s Office in 1989 along with Wilson and moved up the ranks, being promoted to major in 2001. As major he ran the department and was the sheriff’s substitute on several occasions when Wilson was unavailable. If he hadn’t retired last spring he would be serving as the defacto sheriff during Wilson’s cancer treatments and would be prepared to replace the county’s highest-ranked law enforcement officer if he died or became disabled.

Details about Morrison’s career are posted not to investigate the man personally but to figure out why the Sheriff and his office might want to protect the suspect’s name and reputation from public scrutiny. It’s not much of a stretch for anyone to assume Morrision and his family have been given special treatment in this case, both in the way the incident was handled by officers and in the way it was presented to the media.

We understand the SO’s desire to protect Morrison’s privacy and know his family appreciates their name being kept out of the news, but how many other local families have been through similar or worse situations without being provided the same consideration? Charles Lee Cochran hung himself in the county jail one weekend last November but his name and the details of that incident were released to the media the following Monday without concern for his family’s feelings. Others accused (or even victims) of crimes such as murder, burglary, rape, and molestation are regularly identified to the public by law enforcement officials regardless of the potential impact on their lives.

Beyond just protecting Morrison and his family, keeping his name and details out of the news also protects the Sheriff and his office from public scrutiny. Knowing that the man involved in this dangerous incident with a gun was less than a year ago second in command at the SO might lead many to question how the department is run and how many more of its employees have the potential for this type of behavior. Voters might also begin to wonder if Morrison’s mental status or self-control were issues while he was still an employee and if anyone overlooked warning signs due to his friendship with the sheriff.

All implied questions, speculation, and guessing aside, it’s clear that many law enforcement officers who excel in their jobs have trouble handling life off duty. Sam Parker, whose career mirrors Morrisons in some way (time on the LaFayette PD, friends with Wilson, recipient of public awards, number-two officer in his department), also threatened to kill himself with a gun on at least two separate occasions, in Panama City Beach with his late wife and in his own home after he was accused of murdering her. We certainly aren’t equating Morrison’s “emotional episode” with Sam Parker’s murderous depravity, but both were highly respected lawmen who eventually displayed signs of instability and self-destructive behavior.

Is enforcing the law in Walker county truly so difficult that it drives officers off the deep end, or does the power of a badge lead to mental corruption? What kinds of psychological tests are required before officers join the force, and are employees of the LaFayette PD and Walker Sheriff’s Office required to regularly have thorough counseling and mental health screenings? These are questions that should be asked by everyone, both for public protection and for safety of the officers themselves.

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  1. Too bad ole Hill he didn’t go ahead and off himself.

  2. I was at first hesitant about this piece because I am not sure what is going on with Hill. Apparently there are some mental health issues. Sheriff Wilson downplaying it as an emotional episode is not quite sufficient for me. All of have emotional episodes but we don’t go shooting guns off in our neighborhood threatening to hurt ourselves and perhaps others, and cause neighborhoods to be evacuated. Obviously there is something going on in his life. He’s older, maybe he has dementia, and if so, that’s an obvious excuse and he should have greater supervision. If it is family problems, money problems, etc. then obviously this causes me to have a greater problem with the man. He is a trained officer of the law. He was trained to control his emotions, or should have been, and he is trained about the proper use of a gun, about stressful situations, etc. The LU had a point when they mention the counseling and mental health evaluations. We’ve had some bad eggs coming out of the law enforcement depts. in the past few years. And these are just the incidents we know about. What about what goes on that is covered up, as obviously they know how to do? Do they get mental health evaluations on a regular basis? Was this a reason he took early retirement? Did the dept. pay for some counseling for him if it is related? Do current officers get regular mental health check-ups? Do they do breifings/debriefings on a regular basis? Do the families of these officers have some kind of support that they can turn to if there are problems?

    I am sure that LaFayette has some stressful situations for police officers, and deputies, but goodness sake, holding neighborhoods hostage and killing wives, covering up evidence, hiding explosives in lockers, destroying records, etc.? This isn’t a big city, this isn’t a big drug, crime area…after all didn’t Sheriff Wilson say we are kind of like Mayberry?

    I hope that Hill gets the mental health he needs and his family get some counseling and support. I hope the dept. starts doing better evaluations of their officers, and supporting them better in this way. They might look into their hiring practices, and doing regular evaluations of all officers, including their buddies and long time comrades. Especially the ones that are going to off their wives or themselves while in the dept. or shortly after leaving it. Time to bring in some new, stable blood?

  3. KTB: Several senior officers took voluntary early retirement at the same time, including Morrison. It was a budgetary issue, as I understand it, but he may have taken the offer due to health issues or stress. Or he might not have had any issues at all until he retired – being home all the time might be as much a factor as anything. We shouldn’t speculate and just pray for the man’s mental health and the condition of his family. The SO and LPD need to become more proactive towards helping their staff deal with whatever issues might cause them to have mental or emotional breakdowns.

    http://www.walkerso.com/employment.html lists requirements to become an employee of the SO. It lists training, experience, background checks, etc. but nothing specific about mental or psychological screenings. It also says that medical care is provided through the county – hopefully they can add counseling/psychiatric services to the new broom closet health clinic at Bebe’s office, but don’t hold your breath for it to happen.

    Morrison is, by the way, still listed as an active employee on the Sheriff’s Office Web site: http://www.walkerso.com/divisions.html . One of the delays we had in getting this posted was trying to confirm his status as a former employee. They should try to update the site every six or ten months so former employees who get into trouble aren’t still listed as being in authority. Mike Freeman is the major now, a heartbeat away from becoming sheriff.

    — The LaFayette Underground

  4. Dino instituted anger management options for his suborbinates 2 decades ago (on his own, and with a better Boss……).

    This is not the NYPD, but in their defense, cops (new blood) do one of three things, quick…

    They either get out, adjust to the flow (don’t MAKE ME put you in jail…. that’s a good cop), or door #3. They turn into just as big a piece of what-ever, as the worst possible element they have to deal with.

    NYPD or LaPD, they don’t pay enough to sign me on………………………

  5. How’s that BLUE WALL thingy working out for ya?

  6. This is Lisa Morrison and I am not ashamed of putting my name in the discussion. I only came to this site because someone told me about the ludicrous comments that were being made. You people must live a very boring life to be able to sit and write comments such as you have. First of all, the neighborhood was not held hostage; the entire neighborhood was not evacuated; many stayed in their homes. It was there choice! There isn’t one of you making comments that is the truth. Hill didn’t take early retirement like the others! What is going on with our family is none of yours or anyones business. This isn’t public knowledge. We are citizens just like others and under the HIPPA law, his medical conditions are kept private. How dare any of you say such cold hearted comments when you know others will read it. Oh, I forgot this is what some in LaFayette thrive on. Go ahead and hide behind a screen name because you are too scared to reveal your identity. Well I am not! This town is known for kicking a man when he is down! There may be a day when you are down and I hope and pray your are not treated like this! DO NOT compare this to anything such as the Parker case. You people are a sad excuse for human life and I hope you realize how much damage you can do for making such comments.

    Why would knowing his status keep you from posting? His status shouldn’t have anything to do with the details if your details were the truth. KTB it is none of your business what is wrong with Hill….your speculations are quite humoring. Yes, this is a public forum and I shouldn’t be on it because I have better things to do and far more educated to stoop to the cowardness and low lifeness of these comments. I just wanted you people to know what is going on and to PLEASE leave my family alone!!!!! You have no idea what you are doing to someone by making these comments. If you people call yourselves Christians, I really hope you are praying for yourselves because I am. I really don’t think you are worshiping the same God I am because the God I worship would not tolerate this!

    Marx: I am not sure what you were trying to say, but maybe check your spelling to where you make more sense. There is not a one of you can hide too long under a screen name. All of your comments are traced back to a true person. I am asking you to leave our family alone and comment on something else.

  7. Lisa, I don’t think it was meant to attack your family and I know that the LU thought about that. They didn’t do it to make your husband or your family feel badly and they didn’t try to lie or come up with false information to sell a story. Like every other story they took information from research and put it together, and this story wasn’t really about Hill, it was about how they don’t think twice about sending out a story about a no name person who commits suicide in prison, but they won’t even think about releasing a story about a former dept employee. You are right, your family deserves their privacy and no one knew anything about your husband’s condition. No one wants to defame him or make it the situation worse. I am sorry if what I said in the previous reply did so, but the information came out and I know that that he could not be doing well and be healthy if he was willing to do what he did, or perhaps unwilling, but it still happened. I do not have to know your private business, and I still don’t know what is going on with your husband other than he’s got to be struggling with something that caused him great distress. The newspaper article said the neighborhood was evacuated as headline, and the LU did not create that themselves.

    I would be as angry and upset as you are if it was my family. Unfortunatly your husband got stuck in the middle of a bigger issue that no one really wants to address. Unlike yourself, most people who don’t agree, don’t use real names either (I can’t say much as I don’t use my real name either). I think this subject will rest, at least the part about Hill. Maybe it overstepped the boundaries of decency, but perhaps witholding information hurt the situation more than releasing it, though it was your perrogative to do and also the Sheriff’s dept, and the newspaper’s.

    Lisa, I apologize for the hurt feelings and the stress my comments have created in your family. I am sorry that you feel so badly towards me personally, and I hope that you can forgive me. I hope that Hill is getting the help he needs and that his pain can be managed whether it is physical or mental pain. I also think that the LU would welcome any corrections that you want to give about the story as they always try to correct the incorrect information in their stories. They aren’t out to slander, just expose and to cause people to start thinking about things and sometimes people get upset, but I am sure it is never is meant to personally attack a sick person or cause more strife to their family.

  8. Lisa,

    I understand your desire for forgetting this episode and making sure nobody speaks of it. Unfortunately, that will never happen. I mean that in the kindest possible way.

    The moment Hill threatened a life, even if only his own, in public, he became a danger to those living around him. One cannot fault others for wanting to know who did this and why.

    LU has made it a mission to report matters of public interest that otherwise would be covered up by the powers that be. If any mistakes in the reporting were made, I believe LU would gladly accept correction without the need for ad hominems.

    As for the comments of others, such is the nature of man. I cannot believe that you have never voiced assumptions, accusations or opinions. We all have them at any moment about any person or situation imaginable. That doesn’t mean we always SHOULD voice them, but right or wrong, we have that freedom.

    You also have freedom to correct any error you read here, or to ignore this site altogether.
    You will not find anyone affiliated with this site lurking around you family’s homes, going through your garbage or bothering your family in any way (aside from your knowledge that someone, somewhere, might at this moment be forming an opinion about this situation, but that cannot be helped).

    As LU made clear, the focus of the arrticle was not Hill, but the SO’s apparent cover-up and preferential treatment.

  9. Ms. Morrison:
    I apologize for your hurt feelings, and do truly pray that you and your family find peace and healing after this ordeal. But, that said, we stand by the report. Everything posted here is based on the linked news report or information from reputable sources, so inaccuracies can be credited to them and you’re welcome to make corrections. Any speculation on our part is noted as such.

    As KTB and Lucas have noted, the point of this piece was not to attack the major but to discuss how the Sheriff’s Office has different standards for different people. We couldn’t address that without revealing some about Hill, primarily his identity, but we did not include other information about him or your family that weren’t necessary to make the core point of the piece. Your comment here and messages I didn’t share from other family members (via Facebook) have revealed more about what happened last Monday than anything posted on the LU site.

    We have learned that the SO never released anything to the media until public questions led someone to contact the sheriff and ask him what had happened. If this had been me, or Joe Smith, or Billy Johnson, or Lamar Wheeler, or whoever, there would have been a formal media release and much media attention, with names and details presented to the public. Your family was treated differently, your privacy was protected, and you were kept away from all that – which would be great if everyone was treated the same way. If the original story had just said who it was we never would have been so curious and done the research or written this post, but when government officials intentionally hide information to protect one of their own it sets off our radar.

    (Just for the record: the LU is not represented by marx, alicia, KTB, mpliles5 on the CatWalkChatt site, or anyone else not using the name LU, LaFayette Underground, or LU LaFayette – don’t confuse their comments with our own.)

    — The LaFayette Underground

  10. Although this will be my last comment, I feel the need to make statements in response to your post. First of all, when police reports are completed, names are not given, only the supplemental reports. The sheriff’s department does not give out that information. What you read in the paper or on the news has been collected by the media. The sheriff’s department is not in the business to defame people. I don’t understand why you feel you had to get the person’s name and then publish it. Since you did, I want to make clear the neighborhood was not in danger. I am not sure what comments you gained from other family members, via facebook are all about. It really doesn’t matter what this is all about because we are fine and Hill is doing great! Again, the sheriff did not give out information because he never does. If names and issues are publicized, it is obtained from the media. When the media continues to contact the sheriff, of course he is going to make a statement. The headlines in the paper were given to gain attention to the article. Regardless of what has been said or will be said, I or anyone can’t control it. I probably should have never read this site or even commented. You got a lot of information from someone that probably knows a lot. Some of what your printed is correct, however, the info added and the assumptions were defaming. Just for the record, Hill doesn’t have family problems, money problems, dementia, etc…Hill has health problems. He didn’t shoot a gun in the neighborhood and does not need any other type of supervision. We are doing fine and have had a lot of support from those that really care and believe it or not there are blessings that have come out of this. If you feel the need to find out anymore information, make sure your sources are correct. My family has not been protected and the hurt is there. All of this just made for a good story and people’s lives are never considered when it comes to a “juicy” story. I am glad my family could offer the opportunity to entertain the public, but while you all are enjoying discussing the issue, we are healing and moving on.

  11. I have to side with the family here. By using this information the La Fayette Underground has sunk to the level it was trying to rail against. Suicide attempts are real illnesses and not a flaw in someone’s moral character. I hope this man is making progress with his recovery.

  12. While I can certainly appreciate Lisa’s position, I beg to differ that the neighborhood was not in jeopardy. Gun fire tends to go in both directions. So having cops camped out in my front yard most certainly did place my home and my family in danger. And Hill DID fire a gun. I was at home when it happened and heard it with my own two ears. At the time, I didn’t think anything about it because Hill has fired guns numerous times in his yard (including one that appeared to be semi-automatic). Of course, the one time that I know someone called 911 about it, they were told “Oh, it’s just Hill. Don’t worry about it.”

    While no one wants their family dragged into the media in this sort of way, I have to applaud LU for even posting this story. The double standard of what is released and when is truly amazing.

  13. Mrs. Morrison, my coment was meant only to pursuade the readers of this public forum to look at both sides of the fence before formulating an opinion. You are correct when you infer this is something that does not go hand-in-hand with the status quo of human nature.

    Kicking someone when they are down, unfortunately, is.

    I speak of this from experience. I have been kicked when I was down, very hard and unnecessarily, for no other reason than it could be done. I did not like it, and I will go one further……….I do not like seeing it done to anyone else, either.

    Apparently, this is your first rodeo on the circuit……………….

  14. To be quite honest with you, a suicide attempt is not usually a news story. This became a news story when the man went outside with a gun and the rest that followed.
    It seems that media is darned if they do and darned if they don’t.
    If this story was not reported on, then the citizens would ask why, am I right? Well, why did it take 36 hours? Maybe it took that long to know this happened.
    Should the LU post details on the man and his health and status to talk about people supposedly “protecting their own”? No, especially since the LU is not naming a source that confirms this information.
    The difference between what the media does and what this site does is that the media’s authors have to put their name, as in their John Hancock, on their stories and list their references. Their bosses and the like make sure of it. The LU is basically an opinion site that doesn’t detail the author. I am sure the LU means well and I support most of what the goal of this site is to some degree, but when you throw out proven facts with “everyone is corrupt”, then you start a monster of a bunch of opinions and little to no facts. They have some good to decent stories here, but loose a lot of people by throwing out heavy opinions that they base on their supposed “good source.” Basically, going on hearsay.
    I enjoy coming here and reading some of these stories and the comments. I understand the point of it.
    I also understand why Mrs. Morrison is upset. Some very rude stuff said here indeed. Everybody loves a good conspiracy theory, but you gotta have proof in the puddin’ and you are not providing that here on a continual basis.
    The people who are upset at this story coming out should ask themselves this:
    If it was someone else’s family, would I be as upset?
    Everybody loves a story like this until it involves your own. I know that first hand.
    The story that the LU has linked here gives the details according to the sheriff. It does not name the man, most likely due to let’s say no injuries being reported and no arrest. How would I know this? Hmmm. Common logic is also another good guess.
    Is it fair that Joe Public would be at the center of a media frenzy and this man is not? Nope. But, that is for the citizens to figure out for themselves. I would say they are smarter than most think.
    Media, even though at times a root of the problem, has a job to do and cannot really go into personal opinions and wild assumptions.
    Someone is always going to get upset. Somebody’s parent is mad that the media printed that their kid killed a guy and didn’t say what a good kid he was before hand. “It is the media’s fault then, yeah, the media.”
    I find it funny that the LU, which usually has a somewhat better direction here, wants to say that if you don’t like what you are reading here, blame the original story. Yet, the story linked does not draw out conspiracies and cover-ups. Usually, there is a rhyme and reason. It is not always some vast “cover up.” Most people wouldn’t want bad news printed, yet that is the most read stuff online. So, what does that say about society? As long as it is happening to someone else, it is okay, until it happens to you?
    What the LU should have focused on here, was not on the man and his personal issues, but the fact this happened like this, that tax dollars was spent in this ordeal and people had to evacuate in a neighborhood. This is how you are informed of how your tax dollars are spent right?
    The good news, thankfully, is the man is okay and no one was hurt. Whether it was fair or not, at least the officers on the scene made sure no one was hurt. That is a good thing, right?
    I am all for an alternative voice for the area. I am all for calling out what is fair and what is not fair. But, going into the man’s life and repeating the same case against the area over and over again is only a means to get this website “over.” I would say that the reason the man’s name wasn’t mentioned in the linked story was because no one was hurt or arrested. So, you got to know where the man was from and the facts and details, but the name was kept from the story out of respect for the family. Or is that just not juicy enough of an explanation?
    The world is not all black and white. It is shades of gray.

  15. I live in the neighborhood that has been mentioned in this story. At no time did I feel like my life was in danger. I knew from all the cars there must be a problem. Two very nice gentlemen came to my door and explained what was going on and told me I could leave, but they felt sure things would be ok. The gentleman that was under distress has always been helpful to many of us in the subdivision. I do know he has had health problems and hasn’t felt well in a long time. To my knowledge, he did not fire a gun in the subdivision and only one shot was fired based on what the officers told me. Wow, Really I am not sure where your stand is but apparently you live close to the gentleman. It seems you could have talked to him if the other episode bothered you so. I am really saddened that you feel like applauding LU for dragging a family through such. The family’s business is none of the public. I am just thankful the situation turned out well and we has Christians should stand behind other Christians and those needing the Lord. We cannot let the devil win. My prayer is that the neighborhood will join together as Christians and help this family as much as possible. I do also appreciate the officers who came back the next day and offered support and was willing to answer any questions we might have. For those in the subdivision who does not feel this way, I hope the family realizes it is not the majority. God bless all!!!

  16. neighbor2 – clearly, you misunderstood my post. I hate that his family has been cast into the media spotlight. No one would want their personal drama dragged into light for everyone to judge. But that is the point – NO ONE would want that but it happens everyday. I mean, have you seen the BUSTED magazine? It out sells all the newspapers in our area! I am sure none of those people or their families are thrilled to be in the news either but it situations like this are, in fact, news.

    Regardless, it does bring to light, as LU has mentioned, the question of stress placed on these officers. Maybe this situation will open the eyes of the SO department so that counseling can be provided when and if needed. Everyone has stress – family, health, financial – and the job of our public servants – cops, EMS, firefighters – just compounds the stress.

    As far as speaking with him about the previous instances….not so much. I am not interested in starting a neighborhood dispute. Firing a gun on your own property is not against the law….it just isn’t incredibly smart when you live in a neighborhood and are therefore firing into people’s back yards.

    And just for the record, it drives me INSANE when people have a difference of opinion and one party (that clearly believes that they are in the right) drags Jesus and Christianity into the mix. Am I not a good Christian because I disagreed with you? Am I not a good Christian because I was concerned for my own family’s safety? I just don’t get it. I have prayed for this family and for this situation just like you said you have. Just because I disagree with you over how things were handled does not immediately make me a bad person and I resent your implication to that fact.

  17. Wow, really, I do not drag Jesus and Christianity into anything; it is part of my everyday life. I cannot judge your relationship with God; that is between you and God. I am not sure if you know it or not, but the Busted paper is put out by individuals out of Chattanooga. The individuals in that paper have been arrested and either made bond or trying to. LU,in my opinion, got information from a source and wanted to mention names because the Walker County Messenger did not. It was a story that LU knew would get viewers and that is their purpose. I just hope the family is recovering and everyone can get on with their lives.

  18. seriously? crap happens. how long have we all lived in lafayette? something like this is GOING to be talked about! stop crying because it was YOUR fanily this time.

    the SO covered this up, well, tried to, so thank you LU for bringing it to light!!

    If I went outside and fired a gun threatening to kill myself I would be hauled off to jail, probably lose custody of my children and sent to a mental hospital for counseling. oh, and my name would be EVERYWHERE

    I appreciate his service to this community, but the special treatment has GOT to stop!!

  19. Michelle I don’t think the family is crying or whining about it being their family if it was ur family u would stand up for them…..oh wait that would take a heart

  20. Michelle, the only way your name would be solicited like that would be if the media felt the need to dig up the information. Being a former media person, we had to go out and get the information. If the story seemed worthy , we reported it; if not, we looked further. You may be blaming the wrong ones for not getting information out. Just in talking with the family, there has been consequences and counseling involved. This site wants to get out information that is not necessarily reported in the other media sources. As long as it is trash talk, many people will not continue reading it.

  21. With all the “Morrison” stuff aside, this is just another case of the “good old boy” system that happens daily in Walker County. I noticed another example of this a week or so ago in the Messenger. There were 2 young boys arrested for underage consumption, who were in the same vehicle together. One of the boys’ names and charges was plastered in the Messenger’s arrests and the other boy’s name never was. Why? Because he was Judge Jerry Day’s great nephew. We need to remember all this when elections come back around.

  22. neighbor2 – just curious…you mention that you were approached and told you could leave. Did you? You mention that at no time did you feel like you were in danger. I can’t help but wonder how close to all the “action” you really were. Families were ushered out of their homes, surrounded by men with guns, keeping guard over their children….this is scary stuff. Several of us had some very upset kiddos compliments of this. I could certainly see how neighbors at the front of the subdivison would feel safe. All they had to worry about was a blocked driveway. But give me a break! There were cops IN MY YARD! And I was indeed scared for the safety of my family.

    I hate to keep rehashing all of this, but people just seem to skim over this part. While it was the Morrison family’s incident, there were many more families affected by this. Some of us have children who still ask questions and whose fear is still lingering. I just don’t understand how one person can affect the lives of so many others in such a negative way with no repercussions. Let’s be honest here. The only “repercussion” that he is suffering is the attention given to the incident on this website! There were no charges filed, his “treatment” only lasted a few days and now he is back home! If it had someone without any connections or “good ole boy” buddies like Fed Up mentions, that person would still be sitting in jail. Certainly charges of endangering an officer would have followed or disturbing the peace or something.

    While I truly hope this man and his family are getting the help they need, I also want to feel safe in my home. I want to be able to walk outside or be in my yard without fear of another “emotional episode”.

  23. LIsa – this is obviously not Shona. You need to get your facts straight before you start yelling at people in front of their kids!!!

  24. FORUM.

    It’s simplest definition is “a public place for open discussion”.

    Common courtesy and civility is inferred but not specifically required. Neither are comments set to rule, regulated or mandated to be popular, politically correct, likeable, intellegent, or even true.

    If they were, it would no longer be “open” and considered a forum. It could be considered a City Council Meeting (humor intended…).

    But the previous writer’s comment rings true as a bell………Anything can be worn out, and if this forum digresses to rants and raves, people will quit participating and it will become of no use.

    Please. It’s all we have, at this time…………

  25. wow really this isn’t Lisa why don’t you get ur inside info straight before u start Jude and jury

  26. Who’s Jude?

  27. Judge and jury

  28. I wasn’t implying that anyone on here WAS Lisa but she is obviously reading this because she came full force at someone that had nothing to do with my postings. Don’t pick fights that aren’t there. That is my message to Lisa and now sunshine, too. This is almost funny now. Alicia, you are right. When it degrades into this, it is pointless.

  29. Well I also live in neighborhood and know just as much as anyone if u this family needs prayers not everybody bashing them. At that’s what some in the neighborhood are doing. As a parent yes it was scary but as a Christian I will stand and help anyway I can. You know how fire department and law enforcement do…..right evidently u like pointing people out but when someone comments to u its a different story well didn’t u agree this is a public dorum

  30. Forum

  31. Nobody attacked the family, first of all. I’m pretty tired of that. The story wasn’t really even about the man, but about the treatment that certain people get whereas most others receive quite the opposite. It wasn’t until people came in and ranted and raved about how slanderous the story was that it even turned in that direction, so if you want the story to take the focus off of Hill then stop bringing it up and stop saying it is about him and about how they wanted to attack the family. We all know it isn’t t he purpose, and we all know that you don’t like the name being printed. The LU isn’t out to mow people down, or destroy families, so get over that now too. You say the LU didn’t have to do this in a public forum, but you are doing it just as much, and the family are the ones that brought in all of the details about it. Do something like fire shots in public in front of your neighbors and someone is bound to try to figure out what is going on….even if you are sick. Nobody thinks horribly of Hill or his family, this article did nothing to make anybody feel that way either, so move on now. Go make a difference doing something other than complaining about one article written by someone you don’t even know.

  32. Unfortunately, when you take your problems outside and the children of your neighbors are at risk you have no privacy. And yes as stated by someone previously if it had been anyone else they would be sitting in jail. Did we learn nothing from sweeping all the problems of Sam under the rug. You may think it isn’t the same thing but it started very innocent too.

    The county was sued when Hill led in the swat team on a sleeping man who had NOT fired a shot. Where was his privacy?

  33. Well yes unfortunately the family has been attacked I understand where people feel like there was some kind of cover upbut don’t bash the family. Also I checked my comments and no where did I mention anything bout the Lu and public forum I said this is a public forum so I have my right to voice my comments too. I’m sick and tired of the ones who obviously get to rant and rave bout the bad and if someone just wants to offer prayers for the family gets mocked. Just like u I can put my views on public forum.

  34. Wow Really, I am not sure what you were referring to about the screaming at the neighbor in front of children so as the ol’ saying goes, the nosy neighbor investigated. Apparently, the person with children came to the accused screamer with concerns of positive comments and postings on a website. This person who has children knew the children were present when she made the attempt to have a discussion. I am sure the family has alot of stress and probably isn’t going to be calm for discussion. Sometimes when we ask for it we get it. Of course we all a right to our opinion, but we shouldn’t find fault when the discussion goes a different way than we want and then get upset that the discussion was in front of our children. If you don’t want your children involved, then do it when the children aren’t around. How could that person not expect a confrontation when she went to the other ones house? Why not just stay out of the way and go and gossip with the other neighbor who is on her same page?

    For those who feel he isn’t being punished for what happened and perhaps needs to be in jail, well I did my own research on the law. It is not a punishable crime such as jail time for someone to threaten suicide. The correct protocol is the person is taken into custody, taken to medical facility where a medical doctor will evaluate, and then behavorial health personnel will do a mental evaluation and then make decisions of the send to another facility, send home, or other measures. The individual would only be arrested if he/she commited an act that violated the domestic violence laws. So for those of you who feel like this gentleman received special treatment, you are wrong. Apparently, you don’t know what you are talking about. Again, people do not sit in jail for saying they want to die. If you know of someone who did, I bet you there are other issues that got them arrested instead of the suicide threat. If you were so afraid with the cops in your yard, why didn’t you mention it when the group came back the next day and ask if you had any questions or concerns. That would be the time to express your concerns to the people who needed to hear it. It wouldn’t be as exicitng and juicy, but at least it would be the truth. How do you know what repercussions the gentleman suffered? Have you researched the law concerning what can be punishment for saying you want to die ? Apparently not. It just seems to be there are more issues here than the episode. In my discussions with others in our neighborhood, there are far more who are concerned and praying for one of God’s children instead of trying to shame him and make an issue out of his punishment. It looks to me there are some axes one is wanting to grind and this person is being used to exploit that information.

    Maverick, you might want to add more to your posting, if you want to get the true meaning across. I went and did a public records search and found that the incident you are referring to had alot of information you are not telling. There was a lawsuit in the case you are trying to refer to and the person was not just lying on the couch. This person dropped the case and on and on and on. There is so much speculation on sites like this and people want to tell what they heard or half of the truth. This is so hurtful to all involved.

    KTB, I believe the information was put on the forum at the very beginning when names were typed and all information about that person. Shots were not fired in front of neighbors or anyone else; a shot was fired in the woods.

    Sunshine, this forum is pointless because there are two or three that keep a rebuttle going and aren’t really addressing the issue at hand. Apparently, there main concern is the fact that something happened in our neighborhood and the gentleman wasn’t punished enough for these individuals. Of course, they apparently don’ t know the law or protocol. I didn’t either until I looked it up. All we can do is what we know to do that is right. These people can dwell with their anger and accusations. Their bitterness can only make for a miserable day for them. I am not sure where the cover up is coming into play, but these others do. That is just a copout….. All of these people are unimportant and we, as their neighbors, can only support and do what we can to help.

  35. O.K……….. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE.

    As we all are aware, “The Laughing Clown Show” is coming to town tonight (2nd Tuesday of the month…). Their Agenda was posted no later than 0:730 hrs. this AM (that’s a litte unusual…..).

    So, if your are in the mood for a co-laberative effort this ‘fort-night (48-72 hrs. for the mintes to be posted), take a break, work on your material, and get ready to GET ‘EM.

    They have yet to disappoint………………..

  36. I have to agree with Wow, really. This kind of stuff needs to be brought out into the light. Because it happens all the time here. They try to protect their own when they do something wrong but everyone else would have been all over the news name and all. If you are not family with someone that is high up in this town you can’t get a fair trial. Where I live I have even heard that the cops have said that people who live in trailer parks are not important. It doesnt matter where you live in a town, everyone is important and should be treated as such. Dont care about one situation more than another. Some people just have a hard time making it and are doing the best they can with what they have. We can’t all be rich and have connections.

  37. I haven’t read this until today, I am wondering why, in the name of safety, would Hill Morrison be allowed to keep a gun and why in the name of safety, would his wife, allow a gun to be in the home, after he began having issues. I have heard this was not his first episode. After all the info in the report and the statements, you failed to remind everyone, that Steve Wilson, while working for LaFayette PD, went home for lunch, allowed his first wife to kill herself, with his duty weapon, all while he was dressed in uniform, having coffee on the deck. Now, how did she get his weapon away from him. He was already a very well trained officer. Did he do the dead for her? That has always been an unanswered and covered question! He said he took his gun belt off, but some have never believed this. This podunk town, good ole boy system has a history of covering eachothers ass for a long way back. That is, if you are in the click!

  38. Knowtoomuch,
    I believe you are miss informed on your slanderous thoughts. Steve is a fine respectable man, who is trying to make a difference, what about you??

  39. It would only be slanderous if it weren’t true. I believe that is the official report?

    Was the body cremated before an autopsy? Maybe at the Marsh Crematory?

  40. No doubt certain people get special treatment in WC. Speaking of the Marshes — remember that the sheriff’s office received a tip, and sent an officer out who only looked around a bit. Meanwhile, bodies piled up. On a different note (or maybe not so much) I especially the revelation above about a certain “Good Christian Man” (TM) calmly sitting on his deck while the wife does herself in.

  41. For more information, please find this case:
    534 F.Supp.2d 1365 (2008) Jude v. Morrison

  42. You mean this one?

    http://www.leagle.com/decision/20081899534FSupp2d1365_11754

    — LU