Swainsboro City Councilman John E. Parker has been named in a felony indictment returned in the October term of an Emanuel County grand jury. Parker has been the subject of an extended investigation that ultimately yielded sufficient evidence to recommend indictment on a charge of Retaliation against Law Enforcement, O.C.G.A. 16-10-97 (c). The investigation was prompted by alleged threat and intimidation made by Parker during an encounter earlier this year against an off-duty member of the Swainsboro Police Department. The investigation into the incident was conducted by state authorities shortly after the occurrence, but the results of the grand jury findings were delayed until the conclusion of a recent political campaign in which Parker was involved. On December 15, Parker was processed by the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Department.
