An Alabama county grand jury recommended a local police department be “immediately abolished” as it indicted a group of law enforcement officers in the death of 911 dispatcher Christopher Willingham last year.
Five Hanceville, Ala., officers and one of their spouses were accused of “negligence, lack of procedure, general incompetence and disregard for human life,” Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker said Wednesday at a news conference.
Hanceville Police Chief Jason Marlin was indicted alongside officers Cody Alan Kelso, Drew Shelnut, Jason Wilbanks and Eric Michael Kelso, as well as Eric Kelso’s wife, Donna Kelso. All were arrested and charged, and have been released from the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office on bond.
The indictment accuses Donna Kelso of distributing an unlawful controlled substance to Wilbanks and Cody Kelso in addition to others with the help of her husband.
Willingham’s body was found at the police department on Aug. 23. Fentanyl, gabapentin, diazepam, amphetamine, carisoprodol and methocarbamol were found in his system in an autopsy, according to the Cullman County Coroner’s Office as reported by the Montgomery Advertiser.
“With these indictments, these officers find themselves on the opposite end of the laws they were sworn to uphold. Wearing a badge is a privilege and an honor that most law enforcement officers take seriously,” Crocker said during a Wednesday press briefing.
“A badge is not a license to corrupt the administration of justice, and when law enforcement officers abuse their power, they do damage to the public’s trust in law enforcement,” he added.
The Cullman County grand jury suggested an outside local or state law enforcement agency protect the citizens of Hanceville, citing the “rampant culture of corruption” that involved more than half of local law enforcement staff.
Hanceville Police Department has a total of nine officers, according to the latest data from the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Hanceville Mayor Jimmy Sawyer has promised residents that officers undertaking unethical actions would be held accountable.
“It is unfortunate that the actions of a few have tarnished our city’s good name. Those entrusted with serving and protecting our community must be individuals of integrity and honor,” Sawyer said in a statement.
“While the vast majority of police officers and deputies are dedicated public servants, the misconduct of a few casts a shadow on the profession. Such individuals must be held accountable without delay. We will uncover the truth, and justice will be served.”
