Duty Death: David Parde - [Lexington]
End of Service: 17/04/2021
By Jill Doss-Raines
The Dispatch, Lexington, N.C.
LEXINGTON, N.C. — David Parde, the former Lexington Police Officer shot and paralyzed in the line of duty in May 1992, passed away Saturday night, April 17.
The community is flooding social media with their memories of the beloved officer whose career in law enforcement was cut short. At this time, Parde’s cause of death is not known.
Parde’s daughter-in-law Kristen Gilchrist wrote on Facebook: “We lost and heaven gained the bravest man I know, my father-in-law, David Parde. Please pray for the boys right now as they are going to have a hard time understanding why Papaw isn’t here anymore.”
Parde’s friend and retired Davidson County Sheriff’s major Chris Coble wrote: “Rest In Peace my Brother. You are whole again. Love you. Until we meet again. Prayers for Julie and family. — Chris”
Parde and a rookie officer were dispatched to the Fairview Village Apartments off Fairview Drive on May 5, 1992, after a resident called 911 reporting that three teenagers were knocking on doors in the apartment complex pretending to be Domino’s Pizza delivery employees. It was about 12:30 a.m., and the resident knew Domino’s was not delivering pizzas at that time.
One of the officers asked Parde to turn around and look in one of the apartment’s windows to see if a light was on. He turned around to look, at which time Parde said in previous interviews he thought he had tripped or fallen. Instead, his life would be changed forever after he was struck by a bullet. The bullet damaged Parde’s left shoulder and left lung and caused irreparable damage to his spinal column, causing paralysis from his mid-chest down.
In connection to the shooting that left Parde paralyzed, the three teens — David Burrus, Ashley Clark and Adrian Woodberry — received convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting serious injury and were sentenced to prison. They all have been released.
https://twitter.com/lexdispatch/status/1383888102205231107
Parde was married to Julie Parde. He was from Bartley, West Virginia.
In 2015, Julie Parde led the efforts to raise $70,000 for a new van and wheelchair lift for David. At the time, his 2000 Ford E-250 with about 240,000 miles was leaking fluids and needed replacing. The community responded by donating to a GoFundMe page she created. Other local businesses held fundraisers to help with the cause.
“The community has always been awesome to David, always stood behind him, always helped him,” Julie Parde said in 2015.
Lexington Police Chief Robby Rummage posted on the department’s Facebook page how Parde lived a life of service and was a positive influence in the community.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of Officer David Parde, call sign 324,” Rummage wrote. “On May 5, 1992, Officer Parde answered a call that resulted in him being shot. The result of that felonious act of assault changed his and LPD’s life forever. Despite the adversity that Officer Parde, “David,” has faced since that day, he has continued to display a true servant’s heart. In teaching DARE, assisting with the Police Explorers and in many other roles, David has spread positive influence to so many. Officer Parde leaves an enduring legacy of service, sacrifice and courage. I ask for the community to embrace his family and David’s memory during these difficult days ahead.”
In another Facebook post, Kim Prichard said:
“30 years ago this man “rolled” into our lives as a stranger and left this world last night as a beloved family member.
David Parde you will be missed more than we can ever express. Your love for life and taking on challenges thrown your way is something for all of us to aspire to. Your sense of humor was contagious & we miss you so much already. Our hearts are shattered. R.I.P. Retired Lexington Police Officer David Parde “
As different reporters for The Dispatch newspaper checked in with Parde over the years to update his story, he was always very positive and upbeat. It was a quality many community members admired in Parde because they understood the cards dealt to him could have turned him into a bitter man.
In fact, Parde told reporters how he celebrated each anniversary of the shooting that changed his life so he could keep it positive. He would have special dinners with friends and family. For a story about the 20th anniversary of the shooting in 2012, Parde shared a story of how he spent one of those anniversaries with reporter Darrick Ignasiak. Here’s the story he shared:
“Parde noted on one occasion to mark the anniversary of his shooting he and his wife, Julie, went to Asheboro for dinner. Asheboro was the same place where Woodberry was in custody at a prison.
“I was thinking the whole way there that there’s a Domino’s Pizza in Asheboro,” Parde recalled. “When we get down there and we eat, I was like, ‘You know what, let’s get over here to Domino’s, and we can see if they will deliver a pizza to the prison.’”
Parde asked for barbecue sauce, anchovies, pineapples and jalapenos be placed on the pizza.
“I said, ‘It’s not going to a guard,’” he recalled. “I said, ‘It’s going to an inmate.’ I said, ‘Can I have the box?’ She said, ‘Well, sure.’”
“Parde grabbed one of his business cards that indicated he was a retired police officer with the Lexington Police Department. He cut out his home phone number and left the police department’s number and address on it.
“I wrote on the box with a Sharpie, ‘Six years later, Domino’s still delivers.’”
Other friends flooded Facebook with posts on how Parde touched their lives in a positive way. Wende Everhart called him a true hero. Here is what she posted:
“I awoke this morning to the sombering news.
You were like no other and you touched my life so many years ago. Everyone has a story if they were ever graced by your presence. You were bigger than life. An amazing man who viewed the world in such a way that you lifted people up and left happiness wherever you went. It was like a beam of light shined around you...as if the angels surrounded you daily and gave you so much love in your body that you shined in any situation.
You were and always will be a true Hero. Not because you were shot, but because of how you took the bad in every situation and made it good.
Your community will miss you. So many have been touched by your kind soul. So many of us will remember how you touched our hearts. You are a legend my friend. May you be looking down upon us always and continue shining that light, giving us hope and compassion and a glimmer of happiness along the way.
Until we meet again my friend.”
Eric Fulbright, who was a Scottish Rite Mason with Parde,” posted:
” Lexington lost a special person last night.
David Parde who was shot in the line of duty 28 years ago and lost his life last night. I am so proud to have got to know him and hear his stories about his life. I am so glad to call him my brother. David was our chaplain in our lodge and he truly was faithful to the office he held. RIP brother David love you. Prayers for your family you will be truly missed.”
(c)2021 The Dispatch, Lexington, N.C.