I would like to take the opporunity to express my appreciation to the Chilhowie Police Department,Smyth County Sherrif Department,Smyth County Judicial System and court appointed attorney for the accused for removing such a cruel and menacing figure as Billy Joe from society. But, most especially, thanks to the CPD officer who sigle-handedly defended the fort at Tiny Town Trailer Park that fateful day in September ‘07. This man undoubtedly saved countless lives, and possibly even the entire town or county from total destruction by this ruthless criminal.
As for the “intended victim”, she has been so traumatized by being “held hostage”, and “beaten to a pulp” that she has obviously blocked out all memory of any intensive interrogation by the officer who investigated the shooting! Not only that, She can’t even remember being questioned on the events by the defending attorney! As everyone knows, there is no way anyone could be convicted of a crime without the only witness to the entire event giving a condemning statement. Or is there?  I’m sure by now most of you are able to see the sarcasm in this post. If not look again, it’s there just as sure as Smyth County now has a comic book hero. The only thing most of you CAN be sure of at this point is this: If Billy Parris had been a Chilhowie Police officer who was messing with drugs and having sex with minors instead of a long haul trucker who was trying to commit suicide, he would have gotten a much lighter sentence.
This entire incident should serve as a warning to anyone in Chilhowie who contemplates suicide,
GET THE JOB DONE BEFORE THE POLICE ARRIVE, OR YOU MAY END UP IN PRISON INSTEAD OF A GRAVE.

“ cruel and menacing figure as Billy Joe from society”

HMMMMM.........he was holding a shotgun when police arrived and then shot at a police officer....sounds to me like he fits the bill as a menacing figure. He got what he deserved and no matter how many of his family members or friends come on here and try to defend him he made the choice to put others life in danger. People that want to commit suicide surely can shoot themselves before police arrive.

HMMMM.....Does the truth string?
No matter how many friends or family members of the wounded officer get on here and attempt to find that justice has been rightfully served..... the facts remain that the only witness to the entire event was never questioned by any investigating officer or the so - called court appointed defending attorney. In fact, the defending attorney probably spent no more than a total of 30 minutes with the accused - doing nothing more than convincing him how badly the cop was wounded and that his only choice was to plea bargain. Billy was not guilty of malicious wounding even though he accepted a plea bargain. He was convinced that this was his only choice.At the very most, the only thing he should have been found guilty of was unlawful wounding. But then again, if the defending attorney takes the easy way out and sides with the prosecution....requests for a new attorney are denied and every other attorney in the area is so money hungry that they ask for a $30,000 retainer when there is no money in the family. WE, As FAMILY AND FRIENDS, can’t expect anything else from the justice system. No matter, we still love Billy and will be waiting for the day that he is released. Because you see, we believe in him, and we know the situation as it happened from the “intended victim” as the Smyth County News once called her.

Actually Im neither friends or family of the officer named.
I believe that the officer that was injured would have been a witness as well as the wife/girlfriend. Im sure after everything was done she and Mr. Parris were madly in love again and she would not have been a reliable witness.
I still stick to the bottom line that he could have killed himself if that was his intention. Point a gun at a cop......you get shot. If you dont like that principle then move to another country and try there criminal justice system.......Im sure the trailer park will hold your space for you.

You are wrong on both counts. She and Parris are not madly in love as you so adamantly imply. In fact, she is with another man and has been since before this incident. As far as the cop that was injured being a witnness, that would be taking one person’s word against another as truth. Which is obviously what happened anyway. As far as the trailer court holding my space.... I live in one of the more desirable neighborhoods in Atlanta..one of the lake and golf communities, (Do you know what that is?) yet I did not have enough cash to obtain a decent attorney for my brother in law. My husband offered the money, but I refused for reasons that are no concern of yours. As for moving to another country and trying the justice system, southwest virginia is considered another country by the rest of the US. I got out.

I agree Big B had Billy been an officer the punishment would have been alot lighter.As for his friends and family defending him VEGAS, since you are neither friend nor family then all you know about the situtation is what you have learned from the media. So therfore you only know what the law enforcement (justice system) wants the public to know. All the evidence on this investigation was never released and Billy’s only option was to take a plea agreemnet and therefore it will never be released to the public. All this has been very devistating to the family and friends that you (Vegas)mention, “GETTING WHAT HE DESERVED” Several officers of both Smyth and Washington counties have been convicted recently with massive drug charges, sexual charges with minors and only recieved a slap on the wrist, were is the JUSTICE with these Menances. I guess it is all about who you are or who you know..............

It is understandable that the family is upset, and yes there were only two witnesses.  Also, the citizens of Smyth County have been through much lately with the convictions of several officers.  The facts are that someone pointed a shotgun at another person and pulled the trigger, someone was injured and could have been killed.  Luckily he is only going to jail for 10 years.  Had he killed Lt. Testerman, he would have gone away for life.  I, like Lt. Testerman, am glad that neither killed the other.

A few things in life are certain, and although I don’t have the time nor the patience to elaborate, here are a few for people to think about:
1. Every monkey will fall from its tree at some point.
2. Everyone will eventually reap what they sow.
3. Someday the truth will come out.(I give credit for this one to my five year old neice).
4. Who am I to argue with stupidity?

You’re right on, and hopefully people will own up when they’re wrong.  I cannot argue with stupidity either, and I guess the courts didn’t argue - as pointing a weapon at a law enforcement officer - should be at the top of the definition of stupidity, much less pulling the trigger.

You have totally missed the entire point of my above comment, but what else is to be expected?
If you are so fedup as your post name implies, you need to say off the site and keep your comments to yourself.
Since I have said what all that I have to say on this matter and you are totally not worth any more of my time, nor is anyone else who doesn’t agree with what I have to say- I will resign from posting anything else.
On a final note, reporters from bigger sources than Smyth County News may be around asking questions before long.

Well fedup you are correct about pointing a shotgun at someone and causing injury to that person, but once again unless you yourself were there (which would make you a witness also) the only facts you have are what the media allows the public to know. There were so many different stories about what took place who can say which are fact and which are fiction. I am also glad that nobody was killed during this altercation. I say bring on the bigger reporters maybe then the truth will come out.

Agreed - None of us were there - as has been the point of most of what I’ve had to say.  I’m sorry that Big B thinks that no one else can be right if we don’t agree with exactly what they have to say and yes, bring on the bigger news agencies.

There are many more facts about this case that may never be released or known. And Stupidity is assuming that he intentionally pointed the gun and pulled the trigger. I do agree with Big B the investigation and his council were hideous.

It is true that there are facts that will likely never be known in this case and that is because no one in the investigating team bothered to ask all the people that were present. The one witness that was present during the whole episode was never questioned beyond the statement that she gave that September morning. None of the investigators ever got in touch with her to follow up or get any other pertinent information about Parris’ actions that morning. I have heard many rumors about this event, and every one that I have heard has been exactly that, a rumor. There are a few of them I would like to address, not that it will do any good.
1. He had his wife held hostage- rumor, sure she couldn’t leave the house, but not because he was holding her there, it was because she didn’t want to leave him there to commit suicide.
2. His wife was beaten badly- rumor, he never laid a hand on her, and the officers were informed of this that morning when they asked if she had been assulted in any way.
3. Parris and his wife were on the porch when officers arrived, and he had the shotgun on her- rumor, they were not on the porch or anywhere near it. They were in fact in the driveway struggling over an UNLOADED shotgun, the officers were informed that the shotgun was UNLOADED, and instead of taking action when there could have been less damage to everyone they scrambled around and let him get back inside the house to load the gun.
I’m sure this will do no good, because people always want to believe the worst things that they hear about others. I would like to tell all of the people that read this and only know Billy by what they have heard or read in the papers, that you have seen and heard about the worst day in his life, a day that he wasn’t himself at all. We have all had our horrible days, some of us may have even contemplated suicide, but never tried to go through with it. Sure his horrible day was worse than any of ours were, he made wrong decisions, made them when he was angry, we have all done that and regretted them immediately, just as he did that day.  Would you want your whole life judged on what happend on the worst day of your life? I wouldn’t.

Although I swore not to post anything else, This needs to be addressed.Another thing that I have noticed about this article is the fact that the way the article is written, anyone not knowing any better would beleive that Billy was the one to fire multiple times, when in fact it was the other way around.Look back at the artice and read
“Testerman fired his weapon at Parris, Then Parris shot at Testerman.The suspect was wounded in the leg.Testerman was shot in the stomach.He recieved additional wounds to the head and arms,police said.” Wounds that all came from one shot which went off when BIlly was struck by the FIRST BULLET.
IF NOTHING ELSE TAKES PLACE, AT LEAST SMYTH COUNTY NEWS AND DAN KEGLEY OWE AN APOLOGY TO BILLY PARRIS AND HIS FAMILY FOR MISREPRESENTATION OF THE FACTS. HOW OUT IT EDITOR? AND YOU MR. KEGLEY, DO YOU BELIEVE THIS TYPE OF REPORTING CAN BE CONSIDERED ACCURATE?

With that many shots that were fired wouldn’t it be considered EXCESSIVE FORCE???

Being a trained professional you’d think the officers would know that a “single-barrel
single-shotgun only holds 1 shell.

Oook!!!! Once again shows what Smyth County is all about. This guy should have gotten the max and what on a police officer. I do not see anything about restitution either. Come on. Smyth County keeps going down hill.

In light of all the issues with the law enforcement of Smyth and Washington counties at the time this happened, I personally dont think the CPD or Smyth could afford admit to any mistakes that happened that day, The article dose state that
“Testerman fired his weapon at Parris, then Parris shot at Testerman. “
“Parris and his wife were on the porch when officers arrived,” they were not on the porch, They were in fact in the driveway struggling over an UNLOADED shotgun, the officers were informed that the shotgun was UNLOADED. Actions to disarm Parris should have been taken at this time before allowing him to go inside the house and load the gun.
Alot of information was given to the police regarding this case about what happen prior to them arriving, the issues and PERSONS at the house prior to their arrival,The marital issues at hand, yet none of this info got followed up on.
With a proper investigation I am certian this would have turned out much differently.

I realize I’m not involved in this situation, but I didn’t think the purpose was to be an argument forum.  How old is everyone on this site? I agree that it seems some facts were misrepresented, and as an English teacher, and aspiring journalist some day, that bothers me.  However, we’re not solving anything by arguing back and forth on a website.

WELLL… If everyone agreed on this topic then this forum would not even exist. Now would it???

Thank you Mik Nrubyr. What is the point about being an English teacher and aspiring journalist. Doesn’t even have anything to do with the article.

The point was that AS AN ASPIRING JOURNALIST, MISREPRESENTATION OF FACTS hits a sore spot with me.