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Soldier in Kuwait thanks South Charleston PD for recovering property
W.Va. officer gets soldier's thanks from Kuwait
By Rusty Marks
July 21, 2011
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – Police officers don't often get thanked for doing a good job, so Detective Andrew Gordon of the South Charleston Police Department was surprised when a package arrived at the police department all the way from Kuwait. Inside were an American flag, a plaque and a certificate thanking Gordon and the police department for helping a local National Guardsman get back some of his stolen property.
In March, Ian Sparks was deployed in Kuwait with a West Virginia National Guard artillery unit when he learned that someone had broken into his South Charleston home. A friend who had been checking on Sparks' house discovered a window had been broken and called police.
"We could tell his TV was missing, and it looked like some other stuff was missing," said Gordon, who responded to the call. Gordon has been with the South Charleston police for about five years.
Gordon found the box to the TV in the house and was soon able to track the serial number to a local pawn shop. The man who had pawned the TV told him he took the TV to the pawnshop for Terry Pringle, who allegedly had Sparks' permission to go into the house and remove the set.
If that were true, Gordon wondered, why did Pringle have to break a window to get into the house? Pringle, 27, of Charleston was arrested and charged with nighttime burglary for the alleged theft. Pringle has since been indicted by a Kanawha County grand jury and is awaiting trial.
Gordon contacted Sparks in Kuwait and told him the television had been recovered and a suspect arrested. He said Sparks was surprised to learn Pringle was the suspect.
"He was shocked," Gordon said. "Real shocked."
Sparks had assumed Pringle was a friend and recently had loaned Pringle some money, Gordon said.
The story could have ended there, but it didn't.
"I was overseas," said Sparks. "I didn't have any power or control over what was going on. There wasn't anything I could do on my end, so I was really appreciative of the way they got everything turned around. I had to do something for this guy."
The flag that arrived at the department included a certificate explaining that it had flown over Camp Patriot, Kuwait, where Sparks had been staying. Also inside the box from Kuwait was a certificate thanking Gordon and the police department for their help in solving the burglary. The documents were signed by Sparks' commanders.
It is considered an honor to present someone with a flag that has flown over a U.S. military base. Gordon said it was unusual for a police officer to get written praise for doing his job.
"Older officers who have been here for years say they've never gotten anything this nice," Gordon said.
I'm sure I'll never get anything in my career as meaningful as that."
Gordon plans to display the flag and certificates over his desk.
"Detective Gordon went above and beyond," Sparks said. "I'm glad he helped me out, and I'm glad the city of South Charleston helped me out.
"I just tried to give a little bit back for what they did for me."
Sparks recently returned to West Virginia on leave but is now on his way back to Kuwait.