Army arrests civilian in mix up. head shaved, 1 week in jail, 1 week in Fort Knox.

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/408466_deserter26.html

Sunday, July 26, 2009
Last updated 6:41 p.m. PT
Army arrests Seattle civilian in paperwork mix-up

By RAY LANE
KOMO-TV STAFF

A local man returning from a trip to Central America was dumbfounded when military officials had him arrested for being a deserter - even though he was never in the military.

"To one day just be arrested, and like - here you go, you're detained, and not have any idea why ..." said Chris Parks of Seattle, his voice trailing off.

For Parks, 27, the incredible headache began a few weeks ago as he and some friends were coming back to the United States after a trip to Mexico and Central America.

As he went through customs at the Charlotte airport in North Carolina, his name caught the attention of Homeland Security personnel.

Parks' name was flagged as being a deserter from the military.

"I've been in the Army for 10 years, and didn't even know it," he says. "Just seems kind of odd."

He was tossed into the county jail in Charlotte and locked up for one week. When told he was a fugitive, he was floored.

Parks was then ordered to report to Fort Knox in Kentucky - where he sat and waited and waited some more with actual military deserters.

His head was shaved, he was issued fatigues. He was afraid he would be court-martialed.

"I was at Fort Knox for one week - and I almost didn't get out," Parks said.

-------------------------------

Parks said he now carries documents to prove to authorities he's not a deserter. But he still hasn't received a full explanation from the Army about how this all happened.

He said being detained cost him about $1,500 - plus lost time at work

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/408466_deserter26.html

[madaboutharry]

1. The question I have is that at some point after the arrest, did he

not have the opportunity to make a phone call and get hold of a lawyer before they sent him to an army base?

[paulsby]

2. this makes no sense

at least where i work, one of the first things you do when arresting somebody (and booking them) is fingerprints, with mandatory identity confirmation.

since military members are fingerprinted (aren't they) i can't understand why it wasn't discovered relatively quickly that he was not THE chris parks, simply because his fingerprints wouldn't match the other chris parks.

unless this chris parks deserted BEFORE he went through fingerprinting. can any military members, current or former, inform on this. at what point are you fingerprinted?

[madaboutharry]

4. The article says he was about to enlist 10 years ago and then

backed out. This is the right guy, just the paperwork was screwed up.

[Xipe Totec]

3. The Department of Fatherland Security is running amok

This has to stop.

[paulsby]

5. thanks

i should have read the whole article.

[maxsolomon]

6. the moral of the story:

don't even THINK about joining the military.