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ZEBULON - Zebulon City Council met on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. for what was supposed to be the first of two appeals hearings for Chief Jonathan Hemphill and Corporal Trustin Brazer who were terminated from their job positions at the Zebulon Police Department on August 2, 2024.

The meeting began at 3:32 p.m. and was called to adjourn at 3:34 p.m. Council members William Thomas, Mark Nalls, Claude Hollis, and Jeffrey Sawyer as well as Clerk Amanda Burbage, City Attorney Rob Morton, Mayor Joe Walter, City Administrator Larry Mitcham.

The public was advised that at 12:25 p.m. today, legal counsel for Hemphill and Brazer made a request for independent hearing officer to hear the appeals. Based on this request, the mayor and city council will have to consider that request at a duly advertised meeting so they are unable to move forward on this request at this time.

A motion was made to postpone the appeals hearings scheduled today so this can be considered at a scheduled meeting. Motion carried. No hearing at 3:30 or 4:30 based on the request from the former employee’s counsel.

A motion was made to adjourn at 3:34 p.m.

After the meeting ended, a question was asked by a citizen expressing concern that legal counsel waited until the last minute to stop this process.

Mayor Walter answered carefully to say they are going to follow their personnel policy and due process by honoring this request for an independent hearing officer and will discuss this matter in a public meeting on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 at 6 p.m. is the next meeting of Zebulon City Council. [Note from the Editor: This item could be discussed in Executive Session and then brought to the public after they come back into Regular Session.]

Attorney Rob Morton spoke further and said that the City has received a request and the Mayor and Council cannot consider the request until it is at a meeting. It will be considered at the Dec 10 meeting.

[Note from the Editor: Pike County Times has requested a copy of the letter from Hemphill and Brazer’s attorney, Paul L. Howard, Jr. from Atlanta, to the City of Zebulon. Pike County Times spoke to and confirmed that Howard was hired by Hemphill and Brazer and NOT the City of Zebulon. According to the past set of articles, Zebulon City Council met on October 11, 2022 and chose to hire "a third party independent entity to investigate the information and allegations and provide the city with specific findings and/or recommendations" and was paid for the time and mileage that were necessary to prepare the investigative report for Zebulon City Council. The last process took about two months to complete. Pike County Times is in the process of asking why this wasn't done the same way as the past investigation keeping in mind that "The City is an “At-Will Employer,” and all employees may be terminated “with or without cause” by the City Administrator subject to the approval of the Mayor and Council as long as the termination does not violate state and federal anti-discrimination laws. (Par. 4.8.04) (quoted from "BREAKING NEWS: Pike County Times Investigates Hemphill Pullover Video and Police Radio Band Allegations Part 2").]

To watch the Zebulon City Council Meeting on Facebook, click here:
www.facebook.com/share/v/125VQHSBgMx/.

To read the original article about the terminations, click here:
pikecountytimes.com/secondary/BREAKINGNEWSzebulonpolicedepartment8.6.24.html.

To read the City of Zebulon Council Meeting from December 10, 2024, click here.

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