Kansas Police Chief Suspended After Raid on Newspaper
The Police Chief of Marion, Kansas, Suspended Following Raid on Local Newspaper
The police chief of Marion, Kansas, has been suspended following a raid on the office of a local newspaper.
Marion Mayor David Mayfield suspended Police Chief Gideon Cody on Sept. 28, according to the Marion County Record, the newspaper that was raided in mid-August, sparking claims of abuse of power.
The Marion Police Department has confirmed Mr. Cody’s suspension to several media outlets.
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The Marion County Record reported that City Administrator Brogan Jones circulated an email to the city council notifying them of Mr. Cody’s suspension.
The newspaper also reported that Mr. Mayfield was determined to wait on a decision on the suspension until the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) had concluded its investigation on the raids, which also targeted the home of the city’s vice mayor.
However, KBI has yet to release the report to the public and it’s not clear if the mayor had been briefed on the status of the investigation before making his decision.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the mayor’s office and to the KBI with requests for clarification and comment, but received no reply by press time.
KBI spokesperson Melissa Underwood was cited by the Marion County Record as saying that the investigation “remains ongoing” and the case findings will be presented to the county attorney when it concludes.
Mr. Cody did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times, but he said earlier via email that he believes the search was justified as there was suspicion of identity theft and illegal use of a computer.
‘Get Out of My House’
On Aug. 11, the Marion County Record newsroom, its publisher Eric Meyer’s home, and Vice Mayor Ruth Herbel’s home were searched by Marion police officers and sheriff’s deputies, who seized personal cell phones and computers.
The raids were tied to a complaint from local restaurant owner Kari Newell, who accused the Marion County Record of illegally accessing and disseminating sensitive information about her driving record.
The police chief said in court documents that he believed a Marion County Record reporter had committed identity theft by accessing the records.
He wrote in affidavits (pdf) that “downloading the document involved either impersonating the victim or lying about the reasons why the record was being sought.”
But reporter Phyllis Zorn, Marion County Record editor and publisher Eric Meyer, and the newspaper’s attorney have all insisted that no laws were broken when Ms. Zorn accessed a public state website for information on Ms. Newell.
Mr. Meyer said that the police search on his home, where his 98-year-old mother was present during the raid, caused her to die due to stress several days after the incident.
Video recently emerged showing Mr. Meyer’s mother, Joan Meyer, confronting police officers as they searched the home.
‘Gestapo Tactics’
In an interview with The Associated Press, Mr. Meyer expressed criticism of the law enforcement action that he believes was responsible for his mother’s death.
“This is Gestapo tactics from World War II,” he said of the raid, which has been criticized by the Washington-based Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and dozens of media organizations for allegedly having interfered with the paper’s First Amendment-protected newsgathering.
Press freedom watchdogs and others have condemned the raid, which was unusual as news organizations are largely protected from government intrusion under the First Amendment’s free press guarantees.
In a letter (pdf) to Mr. Cody, attorneys on behalf of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press said the raid seemed overly broad and intrusive and that it may have broken the law.
The letter urged Mr. Cody to immediately return any seized equipment and records to the newspaper and launch an independent review into the department’s actions.
The seized items were later returned, but the KBI said it would continue the investigation into the circumstances of the raids.
What actions have been taken so far regarding the suspension of Police Chief Gideon Cody, and what information has been provided about the ongoing investigation
Tity theft and illegally accessed Newell’s driving record. The complaint prompted an investigation, which led to the raid on the newspaper’s office and the homes of its publisher and the vice mayor.
According to the Marion County Record, the raid on the newspaper’s office was conducted on August 11, along with the search of Eric Meyer’s home and Vice Mayor Ruth Herbel’s residence. During the raid, law enforcement officers seized personal cell phones and computers belonging to staff members.
The raid has sparked claims of abuse of power and raised concerns about freedom of the press in Marion, Kansas. The suspension of Police Chief Gideon Cody by Mayor David Mayfield further fueled these concerns.
City Administrator Brogan Jones informed the city council via email about Chief Cody’s suspension, as reported by the Marion County Record. The mayor, Mr. Mayfield, reportedly decided to wait for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) to conclude its probe before making a decision on the suspension. The investigations also targeted the home of the city’s vice mayor.
However, it remains unclear whether Mayor Mayfield had been briefed on the status of the investigation before making his decision. The KBI has not released its report to the public, and the mayor’s office and the KBI have not provided any clarification or comment on the matter.
The Epoch Times reached out to both the mayor’s office and the KBI for further information but received no response at the time of publication. KBI spokesperson Melissa Underwood stated that the investigation is still ongoing, and the findings will be presented to the county attorney once concluded.
While Mr. Cody did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment, he did state via email that he believes the search was justified due to suspicions of identity theft and illegal use of a computer.
The raid on the Marion County Record has raised concerns about press freedom and the abuse of power within law enforcement. The newspaper plays a crucial role in informing the community and holding those in power accountable.
Images from the raid show an empty spot on reporter Phyllis Zorn’s desk, where her computer tower once sat. The seizure of personal belongings and equipment belonging to journalists raises concerns about the protection of sources and the confidentiality of journalistic work.
With the investigation still ongoing and the suspension of the police chief, the community of Marion, Kansas, awaits further information and clarity on the events surrounding the raid. The case findings, once presented to the county attorney, will shed light on whether the raid and subsequent actions were justified.
Freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of a democratic society, and it is crucial to ensure that journalists can work without fear of intimidation or retaliation. The Marion County Record case serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding and protecting press freedom at all times.
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