May 24—Maggie Valley's former police chief was fired earlier this month with a plethora of reasons outlined in a formal termination letter — including poor leadership and lack of confidence from the town.

Russell Gilliland was suspended with pay on April 18. Following an investigation conducted by the town's attorney, Gilliliand was sent a notice of termination on May 11. The dismissal letter states that the town "received multiple complaints from employees within [the police] department."

×

This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAmv:==:=2?5 92D 366? H:E9 E96 |288:6 !@=:46 s6A2CE>6?E D:?46 a__e[ 2?5 D6CG65 2D 49:67 D:?46 a_'f] $9@CE=J 27E6C 9:D DFDA6?D:@?[ E96?\42AE2:? |2EE96H q@86C E@@@G6C :?E6C:> A@=:46 49:67 5FE:6D]k^Am

kAm"x 76=E D@>6@?6 925 E@ DE6A FA :? E92E A@D:E:@? F?E:= E96 :DDF6 H2D C6D@=G65[" %@H? |2?286C ':46>36CD @7 E96 E@H? 3@2C5 H6C6 8:G6? D@>6 56E2:=D @? E96 >2EE6C[ 3FE H6C6 ?@E :?G@=G65 :? E96 AC@46DD]k^Am

kAmq6DE D2:5 E92E 2=E9@F89 v:==:=2?5 H2D 7:C65[ E96C6 H2D ?@ 4C:>:?2= HC@?85@:?8 :? E96 D:EF2E:@?]k^Am

kAm(9:=6 A6CD@??6= >2EE6CD 2C6 4@?7:56?E:2= F?56C DE2E6 =2H[ E96C6'D 2? 6I46AE:@? H96? 2 =@42= 8@G6C?>6?E 6>A=@J66 :D @FE\C:89E 7:C65 G6CDFD 2 C6D:8?2E:@?] (96? 2? 6>A=@J66 :D 7:C65[ E96 E6C>:?2E:@? =6EE6C :D 4@?D:56C65 AF3=:4 C64@C5]k^Am

kAmk6>m%96 |@F?E2:?66Ck^6>m @3E2:?65 E96 ?@E:46 @7 E6C>:?2E:@?[ H9:49 2==686D E96 7@==@H:?8i "%96 %@H? 92D 56E6C>:?65 E96C6 2C6 ?F>6C@FD :DDF6D 2C:D:?8 @FE @7 2?5 C6=2E:?8 E@ E96 A@=:46 56A2CE>6?E :?4=F5:?8[ H:E9@FE =:>:E2E:@?[ A@=:4J :DDF6D[ 7:D42= >2?286>6?E :DDF6D[ =6256CD9:A :DDF6D[ A6CD@??6= :DDF6D[ 2?5 4@?7:56?E:2=:EJ :DDF6D] pD 2 C6DF=E[ E96 %@H? 92D =@DE 4@?7:56?46 :? J@FC 23:=:EJ E@ =625 E96 A@=:46 56A2CE>6?E[ E@ DFA6CG:D6 DF3@C5:?2E6D[ 2?5 E@ 6?DFC6 E92E E96 :?G6DE:82E:G6 24E:G:E:6D @7 E96 A@=:46 56A2CE>6?E 2C6 72:C 2?5 :? 244@C52?46 H:E9 E96 =2H]"k^Am

kAmv:==:=2?5 H:== 92G6 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ D662 ?2>6\4=62C:?8 962C:?8 E@ AF3=:4=J 5676?5 9:>D6=7 7C@> E96 244FD2E:@?D H:E9:? 9:D ?@E:46 @7 E6C>:?2E:@?] w@H6G6C[ E96 @?=J AFCA@D6 @7 E96 ?2>6\4=62C:?8 962C:?8 H@F=5 36 E@ 4@?G6J 9:D D:56 :? E96 4@FCE @7 AF3=:4 @A:?:@?] %96 962C:?8 H@F=5 ?@E 492?86 E96 4@?E6?ED @7 9:D ?@E:46 @7 E6C>:?2E:@? @C E96 564:D:@? E@ C6>@G6 v:=:==2?5 2D 49:67]k^Am

kAmv:==:=2?5 D2:5 =2DE H6696 92D C6E2:?65 2? 2EE@C?6J[ 3FE :E :D F?4=62C H92E E96 ?6IE DE6AD 2C6 7@C E96 7@C>6C 49:67] p7E6C 2? :?:E:2= 4@?G6CD2E:@?[ 96 4@F=5 ?@E 36 C624965 7@C 4@>>6?E]k^Am

kAm%96C6 :D ?@ 2AA62= AC@46DD H:E9:? E96 E@H? @?46 E96 E6C>:?2E:@? :D 7:?2=]k^Am

k9bmp EC:886C:?8 6G6?Ek^9bm

kAm%96 7:CDE :?5:42E:@? @7 EC@F3=6 52E6D 324E@ =2DE 72== — H9:49 :?G@=G65 v:==:=:2?5 8:G:?8 2H2J @?6 @7 E96 E@H?'D EH@ zh A@=:46 5@8D]k^Am

kAm(9:=6 E96 :?4:56?E H2D ?@E E96 5:C64E 42FD6 @7 E96 5:D4:A=:?2CJ 24E:@?[ E9@D6 72>:=:2C H:E9 E96 >2EE6C D2J :E H2D 2 724E@C E92E =65 E@ 2? :?G6DE:82E:@?]k^Am

kAm%96 |288:6 '2==6J !@=:46 s6A2CE>6?E AC6G:@FD=J 925 EH@ zh @77:46CD] ~?6 @7 E96 zh 5@8D[ v@@D6[ 2==6865=J D9@H65 288C6DD:@? E@H2C5D E96 @77:46CVD 49:=5]k^Am

kAm%96 5@8 H2D E96? 2==6865=J E26? G@E65 E@ DFCA=FD E96 5@8 @? s64] 'b]k^Am

kAm(96? 8@G6C?>6?E AC@A6CEJ :D ?@ =@?86C ?66565[ :E >FDE 36 @77:4:2==J 564=2C65 "DFCA=FD" 367@C6 :E 42? 36 5:DA@D65 @7] %96 D2>6 CF=6 2AA=:6D E@ 2 zh 5@8 :7 :E :D ?@ =@?86C @7 FD6 E@ E96 E@H?]k^Am

kAm%JA:42==J[ >@DE DFCA=FD65 8@G6C?>6?E AC@A6CEJ 8@6D @?=:?6 E@ 36 2F4E:@?65 @77] w@H6G6C[ E92E 5:5?'E D66> =:2= :D?'E D@>6E9:?8 J@F AFE @? v@G s62=D[" q6DE D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 zh 92?5=6C[ ~77:46C {@82? (@@5[ 2==6865=J @776C65 E@ 3FJ E96 5@8 7C@> E96 E@H? 7@C E96 AC:46 E96J 925 A2:5 7@C :E] (@@5 2AA2C6?E=J 76=E v@@D6 5:5 ?@E A@D6 2 52?86C @C C:D56DA:E6 E96 :?4:56?E :?G@=G:?8 9:D 49:=5]k^Am

kAm%96 E@H? 925 3@F89E v@@D6 :? yF=J @7 a_a_ 7@C Sg[___ 7C@> !@=:46 $6CG:46 s@8D :? ~I7@C5[ u=@C:52]k^Am

kAmw@H6G6C[ v:==:=2?5 925 @E96C A=2?D 7@C v@@D6 — 96 82G6 v@@D6 2H2J 7@C 7C66] v@@D6 6G6?EF2==J 6?565 FA 5@H? DE2E6 2D 2 zh 7@C E96 w@A6 |:==D !@=:46 s6A2CE>6?E]k^Am

kAmw@A6 |:==D !@=:46 r9:67 $E6A96? s@==:?86C D2:5 E92E E96J 8@E v@@D6 :? |2C49 7C@> 2? @C82?:K2E:@? 42==65 %9C@H pH2J s@8D[ H9:49 7:?5D ?6H 9@>6D 7@C A@=:46 zhD H96? E96:C 56A2CE>6?E @C 286?4J ?@ =@?86C H2?ED @C ?665D E96>]k^Am

kAm%96 @C82?:K2E:@? AFE E96 EH@ 49:67D :? 4@?E24E[ 2?5 v:==:=2?5 E@@v@@D6 5@H? E@ w@A6 |:==D] v@@D6 H6?E E9C@F89 zh E6DE:?8 H:E9 E96 56A2CE>6?E 2?5 A2DD65[ D@ s@==:?86C D:8?65 E@ E2@?6J 492?865 92?5D 5FC:?8 E96 6I492?86] %@H? |2?286C ':465 E9:D[ D2J:?8 E96 5@8 H2D 5@?2E65[ ?@E D@=5]k^Am

kAm"%96C6 :D ?@ C64@C5 @7 :E 36:?8 D@=5[ :E H2D 5@?2E65[" q6DE D2:5]k^Am

kAm(@@5 =67E E96 56A2CE>6?E 7@==@H:?8 E96 :?4:56?E 2?5 ?@H H@C6?E]k^Am

kAm|288:6 '2==6J H:== 2446AE 2AA=:42E:@?D 7@C 2 ?6H A@=:46 49:67 :? E96 7FEFC6[ 3FE E92E AC@46DD ?@E ?@E J6E DE2CE65]k^Am

kAm|62?H9:=6[ 5FC:?8 E96 E@H?'D 3F586E H@C 49:67 |2EE96H q@86C D2:5 E96 E@H? 925 2AA=:65 7@C 2 Sf[d__ 8C2?E E9C@F89 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D !@=:46 r2?:?6 pDD@4:2E:@? 7@C 2 ?6H zh]k^Am

kAm%9:D DE@CJ :D DE:== 56G6=@A:?8]k^Am