LA MARQUE — La Marque assistant fire marshal who cited a woman when she cursed at Wal-Mart was himself charged last year, after a man accused him of cursing him in front of his daughter, according to court records.
Capt. Alfred A. Decker IV, 41, cited Kathryn Fridge with disorderly conduct when she dropped the F-bomb while shopping with her mother and 2-year-old daughter for hurricane supplies at Wal-Mart. With Tropical Storm Edouard approaching Galveston on Aug. 4, Fridge uttered the expletive to her mother when she couldn’t find the type of battery she needed. Decker, a licensed peace officer, overheard Fridge and told her to watch her mouth.
Fridge said she wound up handcuffed and was led from the store.
Some have commended Decker for standing up for civility, while others claim he can get pretty rude himself.
La Marque resident Damien Hill, 27, who is facing a felony assault on a peace officer charge after a run-in with Decker, said the peace officer’s heavy-handed tactics in a traffic stop left him fearing for his safety.
Proposal Interrupted
Decker, while patrolling Cedar Street for fireworks last New Year’s Eve, pulled Hill over for loud music, a charge Hill said was ultimately dropped.
Hill, who said his only criminal record stems from a 2001 drug charge, said he was headed to his girlfriend’s house intent on proposing marriage before midnight.
He accused Decker of failing to identify himself, ordering him from his car, placing him in a headlock and forcing his head on the hood.
“He was choking the s—t out of me, and I wasn’t fixing to die that night,” Hill said.
Decker was driving his marshal’s car, which looks like any other police car, Fire Chief Todd Zacherl said.
Decker was dressed in what Hill said looked like attire worn by emergency medical crews: a polo shirt and pants.
Zacherl said Decker wore his badge and gun belt and did identify himself. Zacherl said the identification was recorded.
Hill is to appear Monday at a Galveston County courtroom, and he said the case could go to trial next week.
“I didn’t have my music on, and my windows were rolled up,” Hill said. “Plus it was cold, and I had my leather jacket on.”
Hill said he asked Decker to call La Marque police, not knowing if Decker was a legitimate officer. Hill said he lifted Decker’s arm from around his neck and ran home.
He then called police to inquire about his car and said he told them of the situation.
Hill didn’t file a complaint after police told him he’d have to contact the city.
A few days later, Hill was working one of his two jobs when police arrived at his work.
“They slammed me down on the ground, put pistols and Tasers to my back,” Hill said. “I didn’t know what they were here for. They said it was for assaulting a peace officer.”
Neighborhood Preservation
Zacherl said Decker is also the city’s code enforcement officer, who routinely encounters rude residents who refuse to cut their grass or remove trash from their property and generally object to Decker’s dedication to neighborhood preservation.
La Marque resident Gerald Ennis, 55, a U.S. Air Force veteran, was apprehensive about talking publicly of his encounters with Decker. Ennis said Decker wrote him 14 citations for, among other things, trash in his yard and having an expired vehicle inspection sticker.
Ennis said he didn’t file a complaint against Decker and chose jail time rather than pay a $2,400 fine.
Disorderly Conduct
Fridge also accused Decker of unprofessionalism, but hadn’t filed a written complaint with the city.
“I’ve been completely honest and never denied cussing,” said Fridge, who was cited for disorderly conduct at Wal-Mart.
“Whenever he told me to watch my mouth, I looked at him like he was crazy, like he didn’t look like an actual police officer to me.”
Zacherl said he has received only verbal complaints against Decker, but no one has filed a written complaint.
La Marque city records show Zacherl nominated Decker for an employee recognition award, and residents have commended him for his civic duties and medical assistance.
Terroristic Threat
A statewide computer search of databases revealed no criminal record for Decker, but a case against him was brought Aug. 28, 2007, and deferred the following month.
In an apparent domestic dispute, Stephen Taylor complained to Dickinson police and a League City justice of the peace, accusing Decker of threatening him with profane language within earshot of Taylor’s freightened 9-year-old daughter.
According to the affidavit, Decker and Taylor’s ex-wife were dating at the time.
Taylor had no comment.
A message left for Decker at his office wasn’t returned. Decker has no public telephone listing.
A judge on Aug. 29, 2007, issued an arrest warrant for Decker on a Class B misdemeanor terroristic threat charge.
Bond for Decker was set at $1,000.
In the affidavit, Decker is accused of placing his head and arms inside Taylor’s truck, while his daughter, a passenger, had her head between her knees, crying and shaking.
Taylor’s affidavit states: “(Decker) was calling me a ‘chicken s—, mother f---. Get out and I will beat your ass.”
Public records also reveal Taylor first told his story to Dickinson police, saying he feared no one would believe him, because Decker was a fire marshal and police officer. Dickinson police referred Taylor to the justice of the peace.
A Galveston County assistant district attorney reduced Decker’s case to a Class C misdemeanor threat charge.
According to court documents, Decker paid $263, received 180 days’ probation and was ordered to have no contact with Taylor.
The charge was deferred and then dismissed, a court clerk said, when Decker abided by the court’s guidelines.
Of the dozen or so callers to The Daily News who accused Decker of unprofessionalism, only Fridge, Hill and Ennis spoke publicly of their treatment.
Zacherl said La Marque Mayor Larry Crow and the city council have thanked Decker for doing a thankless job in helping clean up the city.
Decker has made 11 arrests and written 568 violations and 369 citations since 2004, La Marque city records show.
The fire department two years ago began enforcing city code violations, which made Decker unpopular with violators, Zacherl said.
“Ninety-nine percent of the complaints I’m getting are from people he’s written citations,” Zacherl said. “The mayor says he’s doing an unpopular job. He has a big heart for this city.”
