A Cochise County man has been ordered to appear in court Jan. 21 for a pretrial conference on three counts of domestic violence, including assault, criminal damage, and disorderly conduct.
The charges against Jason Brown Parker are among a few dozen misdemeanor prosecutions initiated in Cochise County over the last two months. What makes Parker’s case different is the fact he worked as a detention officer for the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office.
Public records show law enforcement officers were dispatched on the evening of Nov. 7 to a residence in a rural community near Sunsites. A citation was later issued by Trooper Christ Manns of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, a common occurrence to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest by having a CCSO deputy serving as case officer.
In addition, Parker’s father is a supervising detective for CCSO.
COVID-19 protocols announced several weeks ago by Sheriff Mark Dannels recommend that when possible officers issue a citation with a future court date rather than booking a defendant into jail for misdemeanor charges.
Parker’s citation was filed in the Willcox Justice Court, but local Justice of the Peace Trevor Ward recused himself from hearing the case. As a result, Bruce Staggs, the Justice of the Peace for the Benson Justice Court, accepted Parker’s not guilty plea during an initial court appearance on Dec. 2.
Staggs approved pretrial release on Parker’s own recognizance with a no alcohol order. No mugshot available because there was no jail booking.
According to the sheriff’s office, Parker graduated from the Correctional Officer Academy in 2015. A public record request is pending for information as to when his employment ended.