Franklin Quits, Probe Continues

DAYTON - Columbia County Sheriff 's Deputy Mark Franklin, who is under investigation for allegedly being untruthful in his report about an incident that happened in Waitsburg in February, has resigned.

"It's increasingly difficult to work in the atmosphere at the (Sheriff 's) office," Franklin said in an interview with the Times. He insisted he didn't quit because of the investigation, blaming the office's "toxic" work environment instead.

His resignation, which occurred last week, delayed until Tuesday June 14 an interview that had been scheduled between him and a representative from the Asotin County Sheriff's Office, the agency called in to conduct the investigation.

Although he is no longer legally obligated to cooperate with the investigation now that he has resigned, Franklin said he decided to go ahead with the interview anyway.

Columbia County Sheriff Walt Hessler, who beat Franklin in the election for Sheriff late last year, reacted with mixed emotions to his former rival's resignation.

"He has a lot of experience," Hessler said about Franklin, who had been with county's Sheriff's Office for 12 years. "It will be tough to fill that void, but that's his choice."

In his resignation letter to Hessler, Franklin said he didn't feel Hessler's administration supported him enough to continue his position there.

The investigation into Franklin's conduct, which Hessler has said may have been in violation of his office's policies, is set to continue with or without Franklin's participation until it has been completed, possibly by the end of the week, Hessler said .

Meanwhile, more details of the incident at the heart of the probe are coming to light, with some of the events recorded by a security camera.

It happened around 10:25 pm on Friday, Feb. 11, at the Midway gas station on Highway 12 in Waitsburg (formerly known as Jackpot).

According to a report filed by Franklin with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office on Feb. 12, Franklin and his wife were buying gas at Midway. Franklin's wife remained in the vehicle, while the deputy got out to pump the gas.

While Franklin, who worked in the Dayton area but lives in Walla Walla, was pacing the station waiting for his tank to fill, a red Chevy Camaro drove through the filling area at what Franklin still describes as "reckless" speed, allegedly almost running him over.

"I retreated, backing toward my vehicle," Franklin wrote in his report. "I estimated the speed of the vehicle to be between thirty five and forty miles per hour."

The driver and her family dispute this claim and went to court in April to have a negligent driving infraction (filed after Walla Walla County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene and submitted their report) against her dismissed, using footage from the convenience store's security camera that shows some of the events.

In his report, the deputy went on to say that the vehicle accelerated as it passed him and "never braked or slowed down before turning left, squealing the tires and continuing northbound on Taggert."

In his interview with the Times, Franklin said it was his intention to seek an apology from the driver, whom he said made a dangerous shortcut through the filling station. But instead he said he walked in to a situation on Taggert that grew increasingly hostile, prompting him to call in help from the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office.

After first quizzing two women on Taggert about the identity of the driver, he walked up to a man who exited the passenger door of the Camaro but gave no straight answer to his question.

Then a young woman later identified as Brandie Nettles, 22, daughter of Waitsburg City Councilman Scott Nettles, emerged from the porch of a home on the east side of the street.

"She began walking towards me and yelling," the off-duty deputy wrote in his report. "She stepped between me and the male (whom) had exited the Camaro and yelled at me (hellip;)."

In his interview with the Times, Franklin, who was later accused by Nettles of being verbally abusive himself, said Nettles' belligerence raised his hackles and he shot back in defense. But he said he continued to behave himself professionally.

Shortly after this, Brandie Nettles' grandmother Dolores Nettles arrived on the scene to calm the situation down and take her granddaughter's car keys away, according to Franklin.

"A short time later, (Walla Walla County Sheriff 's) Deputy Travis Goodwin and Deputy Jeff Jackson arrived," the Columbia County deputy wrote. "I told Deputy Goodwin what had happened and explained to him that I was nearly run over by Brandie whom I identified as the driver. Deputy Goodwin supplied me with a business card and requested that I complete a supplemental report and forward it to him."

Brandie Nettles was charged with negligent driving in the second degree, but Walla Walla County District Court Judge John Knowlton dismissed the case after an April 6 hearing that included a review of scene recorded by Midway's security camera.

Obtained by the Times, a short segment from the security camera tape shows a man wearing a baseball cap behind his car near the pumps, presumably Franklin. He paces in the area between the back of his car and the pumps with his hands in his pockets.

Then, with some surprise, he turns to look towards Preston Avenue (Highway 12) away from his vehicle and seconds later, a red sports car passes by at a speed that's difficult to determine from the video.

It's apparent from the footage that although the vehicle does not slow, Franklin does not seem in any immediate risk of being hit standing in a triangular space between the curved pumping island and the far left corner of his own vehicle. Neither does he seem shaken, keeping his hands in his pockets during the entire incident and he does not appear to be backing towards his vehicle as indicated in his own report. Instead, the video shows Franklin walking in the direction of the long-gone vehicle at first, then slowly walking back to his vehicle before the tape stops.

A report about the incident written up by Goodwin said the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Deputy followed up with an interview of Brandie Nettles, indicating she had not noticed Franklin at the pumping aisle.

"She advised that while driving east on Preston there was a vehicle in front of her going about 13 miles per hour," Goodwin wrote in his report dated Feb. 11. "She stated that she got tired of going slow and cut through the parking lot. Brandie stated she didn't see anyone and did not believe she had gotten close to Franklin."

Brandie Nettles could not be reached for this story and her attorney, Janelle Carman, declined to comment.

Hessler said he is looking at all aspects of the Feb. 11 incident, which was brought to his attention only recently, reportedly through a complaint by the Nettles family.