Wednesday, September 3, 2003
|
Wednesday, September 3, 2003 |
Daughter of convicted murderer claims sheriff's helicopter harrassed her by hovering over her south Fayette homeBy JOHN
MUNFORD
Ashley Watson, the daughter of convicted murderer Jim Watson, claims she was harassed last month when the Fayette County Sheriff's Department helicopter hovered over her house at what she said was an unsafe altitude. Watson, 19, has filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the matter, according to a spokesperson. Watson told The Citizen that she lives in the family's house alone since her father is in prison after being convicted last summer of murdering his wife, Beverley. Ashley Watson said she believes someone in the Sheriff's Department is trying to intimidate her for some reason. "It's just me there and that's what I think they're trying to do," Ashley Watson said. Watson has also filed a complaint with Fayette County Sheriff Randall Johnson. Johnson declined comment on the complaint Tuesday morning. In a letter replying to Ms. Watson, Johnson said the helicopter pilot was involved in a training exercise near her subdivision and he was assured the helicopter was operated in a safe manner at all times. "I regret any inconvenience this may have caused in the neighborhood," Johnson wrote. "Training is an important aspect of law enforcement aviation." FAA spokesman Christopher White said federal regulations require that helicopters "be operated so they are not a hazard to people and property on the surface." Helicopter pilots must also operate at a high enough altitude where they can make a safe emergency landing if necessary, White added. Watson also shared her complaint with the Fayette County Commission at its meeting Thursday night. Watson charged that the helicopter hovered over the trees behind her house and that two people inside the helicopter peeked through her bedroom window. Commission chairman Greg Dunn told Watson that the commission has no say-so on how the Sheriff's Department polices the county. He committed, however, to taking the matter up again with Sheriff Johnson. Watson said she wanted to present the issue to the commission since it would be held liable if there was an accident with the helicopter. There has been bad blood between the Watson family and the Sheriff's Department particularly the department's director of investigations, Bruce Jordan dating back to the investigation into Beverley Watson's murder. Jim Watson contended that his wife walked away from the residence on a bitterly cold night in January 1997 after the couple argued and never returned. At court hearings leading up to Jim Watson's murder trial last summer, Jordan testified about how Jim Watson would try to give their surveillance unit the slip by having family members drive his vehicle. Jordan also testified that Jim Watson tried to intimidate him during the investigation into Beverley Watson's death by driving by his house numerous times. Jordan and Jim Watson once clashed when Watson's vehicle was pulled over for a window tint violation during the murder investigation. Jordan claimed Watson tried to physically interfere with the search of his vehicle, which netted a loaded gun and a bulletproof vest. Watson sued Jordan and the Sheriff's Department in federal court over the traffic stop, but the judge ultimately ruled in favor of the lawmen. Ironically, a court hearing on that civil lawsuit was the first time detectives ever admitted publicly that Jim Watson was the chief suspect in the disappearance of Beverley Watson. That was after Beverley Watson's remains were found in a wooded area in south Fulton County in 1999, which ultimately led to the murder charge against Jim Watson. Jim Watson had previously served as a part-time police officer for the city of Riverdale and at the time of his arrest last January for his wife's murder, he had a badge from the Manchester Police Department in Meriwether County, although he had previously resigned from that department.
|
||