Just weeks ago, Three County News reported on the troubling events that unfolded during the Town of Marion’s August 6 property abatement at the Henry Street home of Danny and Becky Parks. The abatement—which ended with Mr. Parks’ arrest—was already raising questions about government overreach, selective enforcement of ordinances, and the treatment of elderly and disabled residents.
Now, newly released video footage has brought even more troubling details to light, calling into question the credibility of the Town of Marion, its employees, and even the handling of the case by the Commonwealth Attorney’s office.
As originally reported, town employees descended on the Henry Street residence to carry out what officials called an “abatement.” Danny Parks was arrested after an alleged altercation with Town Ordinance Enforcement Officer Flave Davis. Davis claimed Parks grabbed, pushed him, and tried to pull off his camera.
At the time, the town had not produced body-worn camera footage despite requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). After a fee of $508.66 was imposed by Town Attorney and FOIA Officer Mark Fenyk—an amount many felt was meant to deter access—citizens donated the money in less than 48 hours to force release of the recordings.
The newly surfaced clips, now available to the public are raising even bigger questions. Watch the following links:
https://rumble.com/v6ydtr4-town-of-marion-government-overreach.html
https://rumble.com/v6yiu1e-more-corruption-abuse-of-power-and-crime.html
The footage appears to show town employees rummaging through the personal belongings of the Parks family. Workers can be heard commenting on the value of items, stashing them aside for themselves, and even saying things like, “This will fit my mower.” The second video seems to focus on the nearby presence of Flave Davis who is Marion’s code enforcement officer and was in a direct supervisory role over these workers.
All of this happened under the direct supervision of town officials Flave Davis and Todd Long—both visible in the videos the entirety of the process. Neither appeared to stop, question, or redirect the workers, making them at minimum complicit in what many are labeling as looting.
Todd Long largely stayed near the road by the dumpster provided by Bear’s Dumpster Service, a company whose registered address is located at 1160 Town Springs Road in Chilhowie, a property owned by Anthony “Andy” Teeters. Teeters, who just happens to be employed by the Town of Marion and one of his vehicles is parked on the old Buster Brown property now owned by the town of Marion, this adds yet another layer to an already murky situation. Several reportedly saw the dumpsters being taken to this location presumably for dumping, sorting and swapping out dumpsters. The photos provided by an anonymous inside source shows that the building is not secured and has missing doors potentially allowing after hours access to whatever may have been taken there.
In a video from a body-worn camera, workers can be heard discussing Teeters, referred to as “Andy” as though he has special privileges—specifically, the right to do whatever he pleases with the items from the cleanup. One worker even mentions that Teeters won’t bother to split the proceeds.
Despite Town Attorney Mark Fenyk’s written assertion to the property owner which reads: “The Town of Marion will not be providing you with a list or itemized value of all trash, junk, cast off materials and other grass weeds and debris which was abated. The Town did not sell any of the materials collected during the abatement,” there are growing suspicions that the materials may have in fact been sold. One can’t help but wonder if any payments were actually made, or if this was another case of public resources being exploited for private gain.
On top of all this, Bill Rush, the former town manager of Marion, now runs Berry’s in Chilhowie—a major scrap operation in Smyth County. Considering the number of connections and overlaps between the Town of Marion, its employees, and local businesses, the possibility of corruption and unethical dealings becomes hard to ignore. It raises serious questions about the true flow of money and materials in this small town, where public and private interests appear dangerously intertwined.
It is important to point out, these actions took place after Mr. Parks was arrested and removed from the property, leaving his home and belongings vulnerable to the unchecked conduct of town employees.
The videos also include the alleged “assault” incident that led to Parks’ arrest. Yet the footage raises doubts about whether what occurred even meets the legal threshold for a criminal assault charge under Virginia law.
Typically, such a charge requires a victim statement, witness accounts, physical evidence, or a 911 report—none of which appear present in this case. The police report itself suggests no injuries were inflicted on Davis. Instead, the alleged “grab” and “push” seem greatly embellished compared to what the video shows.
Even Davis’ own statements don’t add up. He claims Parks grabbed his camera, tried to rip it off, jerked him around, and then “tried to pull him away.” But in the same breath, Davis says he never walked up to Parks. If he never approached Parks, how could Parks have pulled him away? The video shows Parks not appearing to change general locations with regard to Davis. They both appear within arm’s length from one another.
The footage itself undercuts the accusation: Parks’ hand can be seen covering Davis’ camera lens briefly, but there is no struggle, no sudden movement, and no sign that Parks tried to take or “rip” the device from Davis. When his hand drops, Parks remains in the same physical position. Davis’ tone throughout stays calm and steady—not the voice of someone being attacked or in distress.
Adding to the doubt, Davis was seen casually petting standing near and talking to the Parks’ dog earlier in the day while standing on its tie out —the same dog he would later claim was aggressive.
On August 23, Parks appeared in court. In an unusual twist, prior to proceedings, a Smyth County Sheriff’s deputy claimed to smell marijuana in the courtroom after apparently interacting with town attorney Mark Fenyk. Parks, who repeatedly insisted he does not drink or smoke, demanded a drug test. A urine test was immediately administered by Thomas L. Weaver, a local probation officer with Southwest Virginia Community Corrections—and Parks passed.
Why such an accusation arose in the first place, and seemed to involve the town attorney representing Davis, remains an open question. Critics have pointed to this as another example of attempts to discredit Parks and tilt the scales against him.
The case has been continued until September 23, with the judge instructing Parks to seek legal counsel. If convicted, Parks faces up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
Public reaction to the videos has been swift and pointed. In just 24 hours, the footage had been viewed over 1,700 times and picked up by Hilltop News, a freelance outlet based in Saltville, VA. Social media is filled with citizens questioning why supervisors Davis and Long allowed workers to pocket items, why the Town had no warrant for a search, and why Town Council members appear to have been unaware of the disturbing footage and also whether or not accountability will be taken.
Many believe these actions violate Parks’ Fourth Amendment rights against unlawful search and seizure. Others are calling for special counsel to be appointed, citing a clear conflict of interest for Commonwealth Attorney Phillip Blevins, who could be tasked with both prosecuting Parks and potentially charging town employees, however, he too, seems to be turning a blind eye to the events that were videoed and unfolded on August 6th.
Meanwhile, the Parks family—elderly, disabled, and of limited means—continues to struggle under the weight of legal costs and liens that are being put against their property for the cleanup. A fundraiser has been launched to help retain a well-known attorney recognized for taking on cases of government overreach. The goal is $5,000.
This case is no longer just about one family. It is about whether ordinary citizens can protect themselves from unchecked authority, selective enforcement, and abuse of power. If town employees can seize, stash, and comment on your belongings under official supervision—what protections remain for any of us?
In a public social media post dated September 4, 2025, Marion Mayor Avery S. Cornett made a statement as follows about these videos and incidents: “In regard to the Abatement Video Circulating from Marion , Virginia The Town Council of Marion is aware of the situation, and personnel actions have been taken, as well as policies reviewed to ensure it never happens again. Since it is a personnel issue, we cannot comment further, but want our citizens to know this type of behavior and language on the job is not something we condone nor tolerate, and we take this very seriously.”
Citizens across Marion and Smyth County are urged to stay engaged, support the Parks family in their legal defense, and continue demanding accountability from those in power. Only by standing together can communities ensure that government serves the people, not itself.
