Two arrested, including off duty EFD Fireman, after interfering with fire fighters battling Inland Marina fire

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Evansville Police arrested two intoxicated people, including an off duty Evansville Firefighter, who interfered with fire crews as they battled multiple boat fires at the Inland Marina. The arrests happened around 1:30 Saturday morning. ed parker
Evansville Firefighters were trying to fight the fires when 47 year old EFD Firefighter Edward Parker and his wife, 33 year old Katherine Riecken-Parker, arrived at the scene. Both tried to cross the pedestrian bridge to get to the boat docks. Several firefighters were trying to keep the two from interfering with the crews who were working the fire. Firefighters tried to stop the two, but had to request police assistance when Parker began pushing his way past the firefighters on the perimeter.
An officer intervened and told Parker and Riecken-Parker to leave the area. Both continued to refuse to leave and Riecken-Parker grabbed the handrail and told the officer he could not make her leave her own property. The officer attempted to katie parkerarrest Riecken-Parker, but she pulled away and resisted arrest. She was taken into custody after a brief struggle. Riecken-Parker was arrested for Public Intoxication, Resisting Law Enforcement, and interfering with a Fireman. Riecken-Parker is the daughter of the Inland Marina owners.
Officers then attempted to get Parker to leave. He also refused and fought with officers who tried to arrest him. While fighting the officers, Parker kicked an officer in the face. Parker was taken into custody after an officer used a TASER on him. Parker, who tested .196% on a portable breath test, was arrested for Battery on a Public Safety Official, Resisting Law Enforcement, Public Intoxication, and Interfering with a Fireman.
Both were taken to the Vanderburgh County Jail on the above charges.

This news release was generated by EPD Public Information Officer Jason Cullum.  CCO posted this news release without editing, opinion or bias. 

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3 COMMENTS

  2. From John Blair:

    OK, here is the story as best I can report it on the Marina fire. Some of this is based on heresay and some is based on my simple observation.

    At least five boats burned, Bill Marver’s houseboat on the end of B dock was the one that caught fire originally. Instead of allowing Katie and Ed to get down to the docks and putting the Marina Fire Boat into operation, the public safety people I was told, cut Marver’s houseboat loose and it drifted into Mark Rolley’s beautiful Serenity on the end of A dock and set it on fire.

    Apparently Serenity burned completely and sunk where it sat and the Marver boat continued adrift finally drifting to the end of the far northwest dock (near the entrance to the Marina) setting Phil Meyer’s houseboat and Kevin Derr’s sailboat on fire demolishing both, although there is still evidence of both of those boats on the surface. Another boat, a red and white Cruisers Yacht now sitting on the end of B Dock suffered at least exterior damage to its bow.

    The Coast Guard was on hand to oversee any environmental hazards and booms were in place to collect fuel and debris that was floating on the surface.

    What is yet to be explained, at least to my satisfaction, is why Katie and Ed Parker were not allowed to go man the Marina Fire Boat, which is capable of pumping lots of water in an effort to put out the fire on the Marver boat before it was set free to do so much additional damage. Instead, they were arrested and not given access to the very thing that may have saved the other boats.

    The whole thing is exceptionally sad and my thoughts are with all those who lost boats and to the Rieckens and Parkers who ended up in trouble for making an effort to help.

  3. It’s now turned into a Criminal Investigation and the area is a crime scene. According to Randy Moore on the TV news tonight at 6 pm. But it’s a little to late to declare the area as a crime scene. The cats already out of the bag Unless the scene has been secured for the last couple of days.

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