EX-POLICE SERGEANT DEPICTED AS A LIAR

TULARE - Former Woodlake police Sgt. Mark Swaim testified Wednesday that he
didn't like and didn't trust another former Woodlake police sergeant, now
facing 13 counts of perjury.

Investigators of the Tulare County District Attorney's Office arrested
then-Sgt. Ken Chipchase in April after a two-month investigation into the
disappearance of drugs from the evidence room. Missing items include
marijuana, LSD, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine.

During Wednesday's preliminary hearing, Swaim told the court he thought
Chipchase lied about serving as a military peace officer.

Around 1993, Swaim testified, Chipchase told colleagues he was an officer
either while in the military or the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration. Chipchase repeated the claim under oath in 1995, Swaim
testified.

But, Swaim said, those items were not noted on a report he saw of
Chipchase's service record.

Interim Woodlake police Chief John Zapalac also took the stand Wednesday,
testifying that he assigned Chipchase to organize the department's evidence
room and throw away items connected to closed cases.

Zapalac testified he began to suspect Chipchase of wrongdoing after
Chipchase requested that some evidence be removed in a case that was still
pending.

Chipchase's lawyer, Robert Carbone, tried to strike six of the 13 perjury
charges against Chipchase because Swaim didn't report it within the three
years required under the statute of limitations.

Tulare County Municipal Court Judge Walter Gorelick did not decide
Wednesday whether he would grant the request. The preliminary hearing will
resume July 21.

Chipchase was released from the Tulare County Jail last month after posting
$200,000 bond.

Checked-by: Richard Lake