A veteran Knox County Sheriff’s Office detective accused of helping his son hide from police is now also facing charges.
Detective Reginald Walker, 58, of Thomaston, was charged on March 1 with hindering apprehension or prosecution. An affidavit filed by the state police states that the agency had been investigating a domestic violence incident in Union involving a woman and Walker’s son, Tyler Robinson, 28.
When state police Trooper Gerald Lowe went to Walker’s residence in Thomaston on Jan. 21, where Robinson was believed to be living, Walker refused to say if his son was home.
The trooper said he went to the door and spoke to Walker, asking if Robinson was at the home. According to the trooper’s affidavit, Walker asked why they wanted to talk with him and asked if they were there to arrest Robinson.
“You’re going to arrest him? No, you’re not, you hear me,” Walker said, according to the trooper’s report. He then is alleged to have said “Do it another day.”
Walker then attached his own body camera to his T-shirt and said he could record the trooper as he was recording them.
“You came in here with two of you and you plan on arresting him but it ain’t going to be tonight,” Walker said as he pointed his finger at the trooper.
Trooper Lowe and Sgt. George Neagle III of the state police reported that they considered Walker’s demeanor intimidating and Neagle gave Walker a verbal warning for obstructing government administration, the affidavit states. Walker then ordered the state police officers to leave.
The officers were drafting a temporary arrest warrant for Robinson and were outside the home when about 30 to 40 minutes later, a pickup truck left the residence and Neagle pulled it over on Route 1. According to the affidavit, Walker was driving and yelled “this is harassment.”
The state police sergeant reported in the affidavit that Walker was holding a cellphone and the detective was advised that he was violating the law on using a handheld device while driving. Walker responded that he was using it to illuminate the officer as he was doing to him. Neagle asked for Walker’s driver’s license and Walker asked for Neagle’s license, according to the affidavit.
Neagle claimed Walker continued to act in an intimidating manner. The sergeant issued warnings to Walker for failure to produce a license, registration and insurance, and for using a mobile device while driving.
The sergeant then contacted Walker later that night to say the arrest warrant for Robinson had been issued for Class C aggravated criminal trespass, and misdemeanor domestic violence assault and theft. The sergeant told Walker that he believed Robinson was at Walker’s residence and issued a verbal warning to Walker for hindering apprehension.
Robinson turned himself in the following day.
When state police filed for the arrest warrant against Walker on March 1, Assistant District Attorney Rosemarie Guimaraes asked that the warrant and affidavit be sealed to prevent Walker from seeing it in the police computer network.
“There are concerns that the defendant would abuse his position and create a safety risk for the officers acting on the warrant as well as frustrate the judicial process,” the prosecutor stated in her motion to the court.
Walker was released on personal recognizance after being charged. His initial appearance in court is scheduled for May 12. A message was left Friday with Walker’s attorney.
Walker has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the conclusion of the case, Knox County Sheriff Patrick Polky said on March 9. He said defendants are considered innocent unless they are found guilty and that a charge is only an allegation.
Walker has been a detective with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office since 1987. He has been a polygraph examiner since 2010.
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