HEALING PROCESS BEGINS FOR POLICE

For Better Or Worse, Four Convicted Drug Dealers Likely Will Find Their
Sentences Impacted By Their Status As Ex-cops.

Originally pleading not guilty to a host of drug-related felonies, former
Davidson County vice and narcotics officers William Rankin Jr., 32, David
Scott Woodall, 34, and Douglas Edward Westmoreland, 49, and ex-Archdale
police officer Chris Shetley, 41, changed their pleas to guilty in U.S.
Middle District Court Thursday. Judge William L. Osteen Sr. deferred
sentencing until June, directing federal prosecutors and defense attorneys
to help him determine an appropriate punishment for criminals who happened
to be cops.

"Does that make the person worse than someone who's never tried to help the
community, or does it make them better?" he asked.

Archdale Police Chief Gary Lewallen has an answer.

"To me, it's worse," said Lewallen. "They not only crossed the line, they
left the trust and integrity they chose to be a part of at the same time."

Lewallen said he was present when SBI officers arrested Shetley and led him
away from the Archdale Police Department. While he admits that Shetley's
arrest and conviction is "like losing a family member," Lewallen also said
that law enforcement officers often feel betrayed when one of their own
breaks the law.

"That's probably why it's so hard to talk about and deal with," he said.
"You assume people in the same line of work aren't going to leave a bad
mark on your department."

Thomasville Police Chief Larry Murdock would not speculate on whether the
fact the convicted drug traffickers had also been law enforcement officers
should count in their favor.

He did say members of the department have been affected by the news, but he
also said he doesn't expect the case to interfere with the performance of
their duties.

"Naturally, there's been a little bit of conversation about it," he said.
"We can't let this get us down. We've got a job to do out there, and we've
got to forge ahead."

Murdock said officers in training are indoctrinated in the law enforcement
code of ethics, and the code is reinforced throughout their careers.

Each time they're promoted, they restate the oath of honor for law
enforcement officers, he said.

Both Lewallen and Murdock said their departments have employee assistance
programs in place. The programs offer confidential help such as counseling
for various problems, including substance abuse.

Davidson County Sheriff Gerald K. Hege could not be reached for comment.

Lewallen teaches Basic Law Enforcement Training classes at Randolph and
Davidson county community colleges.

He said he teaches his students that once they put on a badge, they are
challenged to adhere to stringent ethical standards while facing more
difficult moral choices than most people deal with in daily life.

"You've got to know you can't cross that line," he said.

But the sad reality, he says, is that police officers are people, and
people don't always make the right decisions.

"When you're dealing with people, anything can occur," he said.

The former area law enforcement officers were arrested following a joint
probe by the FBI and the State Bureau of Investigation in December.

Rankin, Woodall and Westmoreland were fired from their positions with the
Davidson County Sheriff's Office vice/narcotics division shortly after
their arrest. Shetley resigned upon his arrest.

Two other men, Wyatt Nathan Kepley, son of Davidson County Commissioner
Billy Joe Kepley, and Marco Aurelio Acosta-Soza, also pleaded guilty
Thursday to federal drug and conspiracy charges.

A Thomasville police officer, Russell McHenry, played a key part in the
investigation into the other men. McHenry was arrested in November on drug
trafficking charges and cooperated with investigators, according to court
documents.

All of the officers except for Shetley worked in vice/narcotics. Shetley
had been a vice/narcotics officer until he became a patrol sergeant shortly
before his arrest.