Resignation Calls Mount Following Parker Council Woman's Actions
PARKER, Colo. (CBS4) - A fellow Parker council member, and numerous citizens, are calling for town council member Debbie Lewis to resign after a CBS4 Investigation revealed her apparent attempts to leverage her political position over the Parker Police Department. On Wednesday, Parker council member Jeff Toborg, a Republican like Lewis, called on Lewis to resign.
"I think she is going to have to weigh her options of whether she can be effective in light of this but I think that would be the path I would take. I think that's hard to come back from, what's out there," said Toborg.
He was referring to a Dec. 12, 2018 incident that was the subject of a CBS4 Investigation earlier this week. A witness called Parker police about 7 p.m. Dec. 12 to report a woman in a car apparently performing a sex act on a man. The car was parked behind a popular restaurant in a heavily traveled area. The man said his teenage daughter had also seen the couple in the car.
When Parker police arrived, they found Lewis, a three term councilmember, in the car with a male friend. They say her blouse was unbuttoned and her leggings were down below her knees. Parker police said when they walked up on the car, Lewis was straddling the man in the front driver seat.
Lewis denied participating in a sex act but said she and her friend were "intimately kissing."
But for Toborg and others in Parker, the bigger issue is what happened next. According to police and prosecutors who investigated the case, Lewis called Parker Assistant Police Chief Jim Tsurapas five times in about a half hour period, "ranting and raving" according to the police official. Tsurapas said several times Lewis urged Tsurapas to "get them (police) to leave… get them out of here." In one call she said "someone was going to pay for this." She also called Parker Police Chief David King six times, in one call telling him to,"call somebody; we are still detained, please."
No criminal charges were filed against Lewis or her male friend.
"I was shocked. I'm still trying to get my head around it a bit," said Toborg.
He said he was bothered by Lewis' repeated calls to high ranking police officials hoping to get them to intervene.
"I would expect her to do the right and honorable thing on her own," said Toborg.
He said Parker Town Council will likely discuss the issue at their next meeting, March 4, "The ball is in her court."
On social media, Toborg said he has heard from many constituents asking that Lewis leave office, "I'm hearing the 'resign' word… and stepping down."
Parker Mayor Mike Waid said he has received the same sort of feedback on social media with many calling for Lewis' resignation. But he said just as many constituents have said she should remain in her position.
"At the end of the day it's going to be Debbie's decision on how this is handled. Personally I think Debbie needs to do some soul searching... I'm not going to second guess what she should do."
Waid said he was saddened and disappointed at Lewis' judgment, "We all have to be responsible for our actions and she demonstrated a lack of judgment."
The mayor emphasized that he and other council members could not "fire" Lewis or remove her from office for what had occurred.
In a half-hour phone interview with CBS4, Lewis repeated that no sex act had taken place in the car. Asked why she called police officials, she said she thought the response from patrol officers was overkill.
"I couldn't understand the fanfare. It was crazy. Tell my why two police cars were needed for two 67 year olds making out?"
Lewis likened the police response to a "SWAT Team." Her attorney told CBS4 there was no wrongdoing and Lewis has moved on.
It is now clear that her colleagues on town council, and some residents, have not.
