Carolina Beach police officer facing felony, misdemeanor charges resigns

An officer with the Carolina Beach Police Department resigned this week amid felony and misdemeanor charges.

In a news conference Wednesday, District Attorney Ben David said he and Carolina Beach Police Chief Vic Ward asked the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation on Dec. 23, 2021 to investigate after Ward received a complaint from a citizen earlier in December who alleged property had been stolen from him following an encounter with an officer.

David identified the officer as Christopher Wilkinson, who joined the department in March 2021 and previously worked in law enforcement elsewhere in North Carolina.

After receiving the complaint, the department began an internal investigation and, based on their findings, determined an outside criminal investigation was warranted.

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David said Wilkinson resigned on Jan. 3, and was charged by the SBI with felony larceny and willful failure to discharge duties on Jan. 4.

The second charge, David said, is a misdemeanor charge that alleges an officer has violated their oath as an officer. If convicted, Wilkinson could lose his law enforcement credentials permanently.

David said his office is prosecuting the case and are reviewing Wilkinson's pending cases to determine if any must be dismissed, as the charges he faces call into question his ethics.

"Nothing's more important to us than the integrity of the system and making sure that we send the very strong message that just as no one's beneath the law's protection, no one's above it either," David said.

Wilkinson was set to appear in court Wednesday afternoon, but waived his first appearance, according to the District Attorney's office.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Carolina Beach police officer resigns amid felony, misdemeanor charges