The most exciting thing to happen at Bruceton’s town meeting on Tuesday evening, November 11, occurred minutes after it adjourned, when Police Chief Rick Crossno and resident John Pardue got into a scuffle outside city hall.
Pardue addressed the board during the meeting, voicing frustration over what he described as ongoing harassment and selective enforcement of the law in an ongoing dispute with his neighbor, alderwoman Renee Ward.
Pardue said he has been the subject of complaints by Ward related to scrap materials he keeps at his house, and said he was tired of being “the laughing joke” of each meeting.
“Y’all want me out of here?” Pardue said, “$170,000 to buy my place, and you can control the narrative from here on out.”
“If that ain’t going to happen, then I want to be left alone,” he added.
Over the course of time, town officials have asked Pardue to make adjustments to his property in response to complaints, including putting up a fence to hide the scrap materials from view.
“I have been in compliance and I have done what I’m supposed to do,” he told the Mayor. “I’m tired of being harassed”
Pardue went on to say, “The law has been at my house eight times because of her trespassing on my property, and your officers have yet to do anything about it. My ‘No Trespassing’ signs were taken down and found in her garbage can by your officers—nothing happened.”
He explained that it didn’t seem fair, and he should be protected like everybody else.
“If I trespassed on her, I’d go to jail,” Pardue said.
Mayor Robert T. Keeton III responded that in order for any charges to be brought, Pardue would have to get a trespassing warrant through the District Attorney’s office.
“Oh, so I have to go to the DA, now? Your officers are not capable of arresting an alderman, is that what you’re saying?” Pardue asked the Mayor.
Alderman Jack Blocker later revisited that point, saying the response didn’t sit right with him.
“If somebody trespasses on your property, that’s against the law,” Blocker said. “That’s not a civil claim or something that has to go through the DA. If I call the police and say someone’s on my property, I ought to be able to get help.”
Crossno then spoke up, saying he wanted to correct any misunderstanding.
“If there’s an officer who told someone they couldn’t arrest an alderman or handle a situation because of who it involved, I’d like to know who said that so I can address it,” Crossno said.
“Danny Emerson,” Pardue replied.
After the meeting, Crossno asked Pardue to step outside to discuss the matter further.
Moments later, a commotion broke out in the parking lot.
As everyone rushed outside towards the commotion, Pardue could be heard shouting, “You hit me first!” as officers moved in to separate the two men.
Crossno returned inside, saying, “He stuck his finger right up there [in my face], and I popped him.”
Officer Danny Emerson and another Bruceton officer walked Pardue away from city hall.
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office was called out to take statements from all involved.
No arrests were made.
Sources say that statements will be taken to the District Attorney’s Office for further review and investigation.
