A former county commissioner spent the night in jail after he was arrested on charges of stalking and harassing another person by use of a computer.

Norman Lee Alderman, 59, of Beaver Creek Road, was arrested Wednesday night by Chief Deputy David Walton of the Pocahontas County Sheriffﾒs Department.

Alderman is accused of stalking and harassing current County Commissioner David Fleming, whom he has publicly criticized for living outside his district, an accusation Fleming denies.

During the county commission meeting held August 3, Alderman demanded to know where Fleming, who was recently divorced, resides; the commissioner refused to answer his questions, although later stated he lives on Sheets Road in Green Bank.

Alderman refused any assurances that Fleming was residing within his district from commission president Martin Saffer, as well as from Fleming. According to the criminal complaint, Alderman declared he would create a ﾓneighborhood watch to see where David Fleming goes to bed and gets up in the morning.ﾔ

Also, Alderman ﾓenlisted community volunteers willing to monitor and check on David Fleming coming and going from his residence,ﾔ the complaint states.
In a specific conversation with one of ﾓhis community volunteers,ﾔ Alderman advises the person, ﾓgot [sic] your periscope for peaking in windows and your kneepads for crawling around under them,ﾔ according to the complaint.

The complaint says Aldermanﾒs activity has caused Fleming ﾓextreme mental injury and emotional distress ﾓ and has caused Fleming to ﾓbe in fear for his personal safety.ﾔ

After his release from jail, Alderman was undaunted by the arrest and incarceration, and denied making comments to the volunteer about the periscope and kneepads.

"I feel like I have a right to ask the commissioner where he is living," Alderman said. "And I did ask."

But Alderman said he had another beef with Fleming, whose county commission race Alderman supported.

Fleming supported comprehensive planning, which Alderman said he could not abide because he believes it is zoning.

ﾓAnyone who supports zoning will have to deal with me,ﾔ Alderman warned. ﾓI have a passion about that.ﾔ

In a letter to the editor last week, Fleming wrote, ﾓI cannot condone behavior that seeks to disrupt and destroy, and I will not tolerate tactics that are based on personal attack and the inciting of fear.ﾠ I don't accept such in my private life and personal being, and I won't allow such in our public process and professional dialogue.ﾔ

Alderman said that through the criminal complaint filed against him, he has discovered where Fleming actually lives.

"We found out where he is living and it's not the northern end," Alderman claimed.

During the same county commission meeting, Alderman accused Fleming of violating the Open Meetings Act because he had the agenda item dealing with his residency removed.

Alderman was released Thursday on $5,000 personal recognizance bond.

As part of that bond's requirements, Alderman is not allowed to have any contact, either direct or indirect, with Fleming.

The sheriff's office confiscated several computers, compact discs and other computer-related material, according to Walton.

Alderman said he plans to sue the county for false arrest.