how long can a car be left in front of
someone else's house that's the dispute
former Covington city manager Richard
Douglas found himself in when the house
in question was his tonight we're
learning the incident played a role in
the police chief's resignation because
of the uncomfortable position it put him
in and it also was a factor in Douglas
being asked by Council to quit
10news reporter Shayne Dwyer shows us
that body camera video you'll see only
here on 10 News John and Lindsay this is
the police video that we have been
waiting to see we told you last week
that the city wanted to wait 7 days
before giving it to us but we were able
to get it from someone else who had a
copy it shows your classic neighbor
dispute over cars left on the street and
it could have stayed between neighbors
but once the police were involved it
escalated everything the merits of the
parking situation in this story aren't
important and could be argued by lawyers
for years no one broke any laws but
certainly no one was acting neighborly
either the question is is Richard
Douglass's behavior appropriate for a
top city official take a look for
yourself September 2018 police respond
to a call in this south Covington
neighborhood it's a dispute between now
former city manager Richard Douglas and
the couple across the street whose faces
were blurring because they didn't break
any laws it's their Bronco in question
parked in front of the city manager's
house the debate is over who has the
right to the easement where the Bronco
sits and whether the Bronco is
technically abandoned police ended up
deciding it was unclear and they were
going to let it be for now but before
police decided to let it be the two went
at it in what Douglass now calls a
regrettable series of words he persisted
that the Bronco was parked on his
property
then when talking to police separately
Douglas gave an idea as to how he could
take care of the Bronco himself but
Douglas is next proposed solution would
have used his city position of authority
as leverage to put no parking signs in
front of his house in a phone
conversation Friday Douglas apologized
for his behavior but says he didn't do
anything he wouldn't do for any other
citizen who had the same Covington Mayor
Tom Seibold says it was a fine line
whether Douglas was abusing his power
but the situation could have been
handled differently he maintains this
was just a part in his series of other
circumstances that led Council to ask
Douglas to quit the September event
sparked an investigation by the police
department and put chief anthony morgan
in an uncomfortable position
investigating his boss Morgan says the
incident was not the sole reason for him
choosing to leave but there were issues
he unfortunately could not work through
he says he has no other issues with
anyone outside of City Hall on Council
or in the police department
mayor Simon says this incident triggered
counseling for Douglas and that he
thought they were past this while chief
Morgan says the incident was only a
small part of his issues in Covington he
did choose to leave and Seibold says
that played a factor in asking Douglas
for his resignation - Douglas was with
the city for about three years and his
severance terms are still being worked
out
previous published reports indicated
Douglas was fired from a city leadership
job in North Carolina
before coming to Covington were
continuing to track that down in the
studio Shayne Dwyer
10news working for you