Some charges were dismissed and others bound over following a hearing Wednesday in the case of Zachary D. Paty, Alexander Bushnell Card and Mark A. Harden. Paty is the son of City Judge Sherry Paty.

General Sessions Court Judge Howard Upchurch of Bledsoe County was brought in to hear the cases, and Bill Reedy was the outside prosecutor.

 

Officer Donnie Myrick had claimed that Paty, 18, charged at officers while in handcuffs.

One officer said he threatened to shoot Paty when he came within a few feet of another officer, who was struggling with another youth.

 

Police said the incident happened on Jan. 4 just before midnight in the parking lot of the Days Inn motel in the 7700 block of Lee Highway.

Officer Myrick said he went to check on a suspicious vehicle parked away from the building across two parking spots.  He said there was a strong odor of alcohol coming from the car that was occupied by Paty, Card, Harden and a female.

 

The officer said Card exited the vehicle first. He said he had a strong smell of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet. He was placed in handcuffs. A small amount of cocaine and marijuana was found on him.

 

Police said Paty exited the vehicle during the search of Card, though he had been ordered to stay in the car. He was directed to go back in the vehicle.

 

When Card had been placed on a curb, Paty was asked to exit. Police said he also had a strong odor of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet. He was placed in handcuffs and placed on the curb.

 

Police said Harden exited the vehicle smoking a cigarette. When asked to place it on the ground, he began to run. Officer Myrick caught up with him and they both went to the ground in a struggle. The officer said Harden was not quit fighting him so he called for backup.

 

The officers said while they were struggling with Harden, that Paty charged them. Two other officers arrived and took Paty to the ground.

 

Police said they found a large amount of cash on Harden. At the jail, a strip search of Harden produced five grams of cocaine and three grams of marijuana in his undershorts.

 

The female was released.

 

Paty was charged with public intoxication, drinking underage, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The first two charges were bound over and the latter two dismissed. An underage drinking charge against Paty from last Aug. 26 was to be dismissed based on successfully passing drug and alcohol screens.

 

Card, 19, of 1224 Cumberland Road, was charged with public intoxication, underage drinking and two counts of having drugs for resale. Charges against him were bound over except for one charge of drugs for resale.

 

Harden, 19, of 7604 Standifer Road, was charged with drugs for resale, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest. The last charge was bound over and the other counts dismissed.