State Revokes Lake Norden Police Chief’s Cop Papers

Lake Norden has no city cop today. The state Law Enforcement Officers Standards Commission voted unanimously yesterday to revoke Lake Norden Police Chief Jimmy Murphy’s law enforcement certification.

Chief Murphy shot and wounded a suicidal woman in Lake Norden in December 2016, a shooting that Attorney General Marty Jackley deemed justifiable. However, Jackley joined his fellow Standards Commission members yesterday in de-coppifying Murphy based on complaints about subsequent incidents that alarmed Hamlin County State’s Attorney John Delzer so much that he quit prosecuting cases brought by Murphy:

–November, 2017    Traffic stop of Nikolas Weeks. Officer Murphy tazed and arrested Weeks for refusing to sign a citation.

–June 24, 2017    Traffic stop of Leonard Kopman. Officer Murphy wrongfully issued a warning citation to Kopman for failing to stop at a stop sign. Video of the traffic stop confirms that Kopman stopped for about three or four seconds.

–June 5, 2017     Traffic stop of Kristi Kosti. Officer Murphy was not in uniform, and was verbally abusive to Koski, who called 911 during this incident. It is alleged that Murphy lied about whether this traffic stop was recorded on his video camera.

–June 22, 2016    Detention of Mason Carleton of Bryant. Murphy confronted and detained a 14 year-old boy who was lawfully possessing a compound bow. This incident was outside of Murphy’s jurisdiction. Murphy had an unprofessional confrontation with Eric Carleton, the father of Mason Carleton, during which Murphy threatened Eric Carleton and used profane language.

–February 18, 2016    Traffic stop of Nikolas Weeks. Murphy cited Weeks for failing to stop at a stop sign. The citation was disputed by Weeks, who appealed it to the South Dakota Supreme Court. Murphy is alleged to have lied about the videotape of the traffic stop, failed to preserve the videotape, or intentionally destroyed it [Mike Tanner, “Jackley: Licensure Hearing for Lake Norden Police Chief to Be held in Next 30 Days,” KWAT Radio, 2018.06.07].

In his last appearance as chief before the Lake Norden City Council on July 2, the council authorized Murphy to proceed with some nuisance prosecutions:

Jimmy Murphy reported on notice and compliance with NOTICE AND ORDER TO ABATE letters dated April 27, 2018, May 11, 2018, and June 29, 2018 mailed to residents of Lake Norden for unlicensed vehicles, abandoned vehicles and/or nuisance property and property that is not mowed or has tall weeds growing located in Lake Norden city limits.

Motions made by Larson and seconded by St. John to authorize Police Chief Jimmy Murphy to proceed with legal proceedings against property owners that have not complied with the written notice within the time allotted as stated in their NOTICE AND ORDER TO ABATE and remain in violation of the nuisance and/or mowing regulations of the City of Lake Norden. All voted aye [Lake Norden City Council, unofficial minutes, 2018.07.02].

Lazy Lake Norden lawn-owners may have a brief reprieve from firing up their weedwhackers, now that the badge has been whacked from Murphy’s chest.