Posted on 07/10/2012 9:04:18 AM PDT by DogByte6RER
Code Enforcement Officer Walks Into Home
Monday morning, Erica Masters was sleeping in her bed when Columbia County Code Compliance Officer Jimmy Vowell came to serve a violation notice for her grass being too long. Erica caught the whole incident on tape.
"He let himself in and actually came through the house and into my bedroom. And yelled at me to wake me up, to let me know that I needed to come back outside and sign the violation notice."
Erica says she was freaked out seeing a stranger in her doorway.
"I woke up, I didn't have my glasses on or my contacts in and all I see is this big burly figure standing in my doorway. A big huge guy with a grey shirt. It scared the mess out of me."
After the incident, Erica called the Sheriff's Office to file a complaint against Jimmy Vowell. The Columbia County Environmental Compliance Manager, Mike Anderson, says he is aware of the complaint and that his office is investigating it. He also went on to say that his Code Compliance Officers cannot enter someone's home without their permission, and that even if they had probable cause to enter, they would still need to be escorted by a Law Enforcement Officer. Erica feels as though her privacy was invaded by the county.
"I could have been coming fresh out of the shower. I mean, if I'm not answering the door, maybe it's because I can't hear you because I'm in the shower."
She also worries about the safety of the man who served the violation.
"He didn't even have a concern for his own safety, walking into someone's house, and just trying to get their attention when they could very well be an armed and dangerous person."
Erica says she isn't sure if she's going to press charges against Jimmy Vowell. For now, she's going to work on getting her lawnmower fixed.
"I do understand that my yard needs to be cut. I understand that. I have no problem with that. I understand them having to serve a violation notice, but the way they handled it was completely unacceptable."
Didnt the BTK killer in Kansas have that same job, monitoring codes, lawns, etc? And wasnt he supposed to be unusually obnoxious by reputation?
I’ll tell you what his intentions were. He knew she lived there and went in to threaten a violation, unless she gave him sex. He’d be dead if he walked in while I was sleeping.
I was thinking the same thing.. He probably checked her out in the computer system. Maybe got her DL info so he knew what she looked like/weighed and all the “stats” and also knew no one else lived at the same address..
If she was closer, I’d go mow her lawn for her just so she does not have to deal with the next guy they send over.
He sounds like the BTK killer. Little man with big ego and the power of the government. He needs to try that in Texas.
I'm very blessed to be in a neighborhood like this.
/johnny
You’re right. Or maybe he was just going to steal a few things because he thought she wasn’t home.
Lock the bedroom door.
Load the gun.
Mow the lawn.
Life is just not that difficult.
But, does this sort of thing ever happen in Kennesaw, Georgia?
If I were her I'd invest in a door sign that says "Screw the dog, beware of the owner!" With a big ass S&W revolver picture.
In CT, once inside the home, he could be legally terminated by home onwer.
Agreed. He is quite lucky to be alive, if he had tried that at my house, he would have been found in the doorway full of 00 buckshot.
Not with law-abiding citizens...
Excellent course of action!
then gone to the kitchen and put a butcher knife in his cold dead hand.
Not something I would do.
Okay, then....for a woman, pulling downt the dead perp's pants would be just as good.
He was let go as per the earlier thread.
I think this guy is a retired Richmond Co. police officer, which might help explain why he felt he could violate a citizen’s rights with impunity.
So.... will Obama and the CBO count that as a 'job created' ?
It looks like they canned him on technicalities, like lying to a supervisor, rather than for the intrusion. I don’t think these inspectores are police union, so he’s SOL, not that it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. (So to speak.)
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