Initially, Katy Police Officer Cody Parchman was suspended and put on administrative leave early Thursday morning right after that deadly wreck. On Friday, Eyewitness News learned that Parchman was fired.
Katy Police Chief Bill Hastings says he had no choice but to fire Parchman, who had been on the force for about a month. Chief Hastings made the scene after Thursday morning's deadly accident and told us he had reason to believe the off-duty Katy police officer was intoxicated.
"I feel terrible for Cody because of the situation he's in, but as a department we don't condone actions of poor decisions," said Chief Hastings.
The truck that crashed into the mother and her teenage son belonged to Parchman, who was riding in the passenger seat. Taylor McShan, the man driving Parchman's truck, is suspected of being drunk and has now been charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter.
Katherine Addison, 48, and her son Kendall, 12, had pulled over on the shoulder of I-10 just west of Brookshire after getting a flat tire in the early morning hours. Police say as the mother was trying to fix the tire, a pickup truck slammed into their car, causing it to burst into flames, killing the mother and son.
Kendall Addison was a star player on a youth football team named the Saints and led them to a championship. Friends held a candlelight vigil in his honor in Rosenberg on Thursday night. His teammates and friends are taking his death very hard and remembered him for protecting smaller kids from bullies.
On Friday, we went to Parchman's home in Sealy for a comment but no one answered the door.
"There's a responsibility that comes with alcohol. There were a lot of instances that took place where choices could have been made to handle things differently. Officer Parchman was negligent in his actions. The city does not condone this. The department does not condone this," said Chief Hastings.
Parchman can appeal his termination, but the chief said that he talked to the officer about this and said that Parchman does not intend to appeal. Chief Hastings said Parchman is extremely remorseful about what happened.
As far as the chief knows, he says Parchman will not face any criminal charges.
