EX-OFFICER SUSPECTED IN MISSING DRUG EVIDENCE

A Rock Hill police officer who worked in the evidence room resigned Friday
after being accused of mishandling drug evidence and planning to use it,
said Chief Dave Fortson.

Robin Davis, 47, of 3320 Perry Road had been on suspension without pay
after being charged with arson last month. He was charged in the July 31
fire at his mobile home, police say.

State police are investigating whether Davis misused evidence. The State
Law Enforcement Division will turn over its findings to the 16th Circuit
Solicitor's Office. However, Davis has not been charged with a crime in
connection with the missing evidence.

For the past several months, Davis has worked in the support services
division, handling evidence and drug testing.

An ongoing internal audit of the evidence room found two kinds of
barbiturates, drugs used as depressants on the central nervous system,
missing last week, Fortson said.

Police believe Davis intended to use the drugs to hurt himself because of
the stress he endured during the fire at his home and the arson charges
that followed, Fortson said at a press conference Monday.

Police are certain that one drug item was destroyed and the other was
returned to the evidence room.

Police found one piece of evidence, which was from a Decem-ber 2000 case,
in Davis' marked sport utility vehicle.

"We have no reason to believe that any other items were mishandled,"
Fortson said.

Fortson said Davis did not have a history of drug use, and all officers are
tested randomly for drugs.

Davis was the only person who had access to the evidence room - which was
always locked and had an alarm - and was responsible for taking evidence to
SLED for examination.

"I don't even have access to that room," Fortson said.

Fortson said he now will require a team of supervisors to routinely walk
through the evidence room to make sure nothing seems out of place.

With about 15,000 pieces of evidence to keep track of, there's no way to
check every piece each day, unless there is an audit, Fortson said. There
are two announced and one unannounced audits each year. The last one was in
April.