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ZEBULON - Zebulon City Council held a Called Meeting on August 2, 2024 at 1 p.m. for the purpose of holding an Executive Session for Personnel. By the time that the meeting ended, Chief Jonathan Hemphill and Corporal Trustin Brazer had been terminated from their job positions at the Zebulon Police Department.

City of Zebulon Mayor and Council consists of Mayor Joe Walter and Council Members Pro-Tem William Thomas, Mark Nalls, Claude Hollis, and Jeffrey Sawyer. (Mayor Walter only votes in the event of a tie when a third vote is needed to break that tie.)

Meeting (from the Post Agenda)

After motion and second was made to exit Executive Session and re-enter open session, the following motions were made in open session (verbatim from the Post Agenda):

"(1) Motion/Second to dismiss and terminate Chief Jonathan Hemphill for cause for violating paragraph 7.2 e, insubordination, refusal to perform a service as required by the City Administrator which has a first offense of discharge and for violating paragraph 7.2 AA, threatening or intimidating employees or supervisor and/or any conduct that endangers other employees or supervisor, specifically threatening employees with their jobs, was made by Nalls/Thomas and carried 4-0.

(2) Motion/Second to terminate Trustin Brazer for cause for violation of section 7.2 e, insubordination, for his refusal to perform a service as required by his supervisor, was made by Hollis/Sawyer and carried 4-0.

(3) Motion/Second in connection with other motions that terminations be effective immediately and all city equipment be retrieved immediately was made by Nalls/Sawyer and carried 4-0."

The meeting was adjourned at 2:30 p.m.

Closing

Pike County Times asked for this information in an Open Records Request and was advised by City Attorney Rob Morton that there may be other documents related to these terminations, but those documents are not subject to disclosure at this time based on OCGA 50-18-72 which says: “(8) Records consisting of material obtained in investigations related to the suspension, firing, or investigation of complaints against public officers or employees until ten days after the same has been presented to the agency or an officer for action or the investigation is otherwise concluded or terminated, provided that this paragraph shall not be interpreted to make such investigatory records privileged.”

Pike County Times will follow up on this investigation and report the final results as soon as that information is available.

The December 4, 2024 article entitled "BREAKING NEWS: ZPD Appeals Hearings Postponed" can be read in full with no paywall at pikecountytimes.com/secondary/BREAKINGNEWSappealshearing12.4.24.html

Past articles on Chief Hemphill include:

"BREAKING NEWS: Pike County Times Investigates Hemphill Pullover Video and Police Radio Band Allegations Part 1" which can be read in full with no pay block at www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/BREAKINGNEWShemphill10.12.22.html

"BREAKING NEWS: Pike County Times Investigates Hemphill Pullover Video and Police Radio Band Allegations Part 2" which can be read in full with no pay block at www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/BREAKINGNEWShemphill12.8.22.html

"BREAKING NEWS: Zebulon City Council Gives Disciplinary Action to Zebulon PD Chief; Part 3 of Investigative Series" which can be read in full with no pay block at www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/BREAKINGNEWShemphill12.20.22.html

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