Clayton cops fired in corruption probe will appeal dismissals

"I've never sold drugs in my life," Norwood said.

Along with Norwood, Detective Jerald Parks, Sgt. Willie Holliday and Sgt. David Robinson were named in the investigation into, among other things, officers having sex while on duty and providing illegal drugs to alleged sex parties.

"The actions of these individuals are appalling, discredit the department and will not be tolerated," Chief Robinson said in his March 5 memo to county chief of staff Alex Cohilas announcing his intent to fire the men.

All were said to have lied to internal affairs investigators and to have each failed at least one polygraph test.

But Kliff Grimes, a spokesman for the International Brotherhood of Police, which is representing three of the dismissed officers, questioned the methods used during the polygraph tests -- which are supposed to tell when a person is using deception by recognizing changes in the subject's pulse.

"How can you have a good polygraph when you're yelling at a person?" he asked, saying that at least two of the men that his organizations represents reported hostility while they took the test. "Not even murderers are treated that way."

Norwood's attorney, Keith Martin, said the firings are residual from the December dismissal of former Police Chief Jeff Turner. Martin said when internal affairs investigators couldn't find anything on Turner, they turned to this investigation as a way to show Turner didn't adequately address the problem.

"I believe that Lonnie is nothing more and nothing less than a victim in a power shift," Martin said of Norwood.

Norwood also has been accused of paying for a hotel room for a young woman and her sister, and carrying the women in his patrol car without authorization, things he admitted to, claiming he was trying to help the women and didn't try to have sex with them.

Parks is accused of providing drugs to sex parties while off duty and intentionally botching a kidnapping investigation for personal reasons. Parks admits telling internal affairs investigators that he "did not do as good of a job on the case as he should have."

According to the chief's memo, Parks made movements during two polygraph tests that impaired the readings and failed a third polygraph test when asked whether he took drugs to a party while he was a Clayton cop.

Both he and Norwood intend to challenge the polygraph readings, their representatives said.

Holliday is accused of receiving information about police corruption without reporting on it, according to the chief's memo that stated Holliday at least believed Norwood and Sgt. Robinson were involved in some kind of sex act with women while on duty.

Holliday also admitted that he "visited" a woman in his patrol car.

Sgt. Robinson told investigators he watched Norwood receive a "booty" dance, which Norwood denies. Investigators have also alleged that Robinson pulled the woman's pants down and touched her buttocks, but Norwood says that did not happen.

It's unclear whether any criminal charges will be filed against the former officers, although they were interviewed after being informed of their Garrity rights -- which protect police officers from conviction if they are compelled to make incriminating statements during administrative investigations.

"Unfortunately, the opportunity for criminal charges may have been jeopardized," Chief Robinson said in his memo.

Grimes said it would be a waste to attempt to press criminal charges against Park, in particular.

"They would be wasting their time and taxpayers' money because he did not do anything wrong administratively and definitely not anything criminally," Grimes said.

And Norwood said he couldn't believe he was being blamed.

"I didn't do anything," Norwood said.