HANCEVILLE-A small Alabama city placed its entire police force on administrative leave a day after a grand jury recommended the department be disbanded, saying it has “operated as more of a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency.”
Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker said all charges are felonies except tampering with physical evidence, which is a Class A felony.
“With today’s indictments, these defendants find themselves on the opposite end of the laws they were sworn to uphold. Wearing a badge is a privilege and honor that most law enforcement officers take seriously. A badge is not a license to corrupt the administration of justice, These Hanceville Police officers actions undermine the hard work of the entire law enforcement community across our great state,” said Crocker.
Crocker also provided multiple recommendations from the grand jury that indicted the officers, some of which included disbanding the Hanceville Police Department and another law enforcement agency coming in and taking over taking care of law enforcement in the city.
The grand jury also said that based on evidence provided by the State Bureau Of Investigation, it believes the department is an ongoing threat to public safety, it believes there is a rampant culture of corruption, and has recently operated as more of a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency.
The grand jury also concluded the death of 49-year-old Christopher Michael Willingham, who worked as a dispatcher, was a “direct result of Hanceville Police Department’s negligence, lack of procedure, general incompetence, and disregard of human life.”
Hanceville Mayor Jim Sawyer said Thursday in a statement that the Cullman County Sheriff’s Department will temporarily take over over law enforcement duties as city officials mull the next steps. Inmates in the Hanceville Jail will be transferred to the Cullman County Jail.
Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker announced Wednesday that the grand jury had indicted the Hanceville police chief and four of his officers, who are accused of mishandling or removing materials from the department’s evidence room.
They have been charged with a variety of offenses, including misuse of state criminal databases and distribution of controlled substances to each other, according to the indictments.
Cody Alan Kelso is charged with two counts of computer tampering, solicitation to commit a controlled substance crime, use of office for personal gain and tampering with physical evidence.
Jason Scott Wilbanks is charged with two counts of computer tampering, two counts of use of office for personal gain, tampering with physical evidence and two counts of solicitation to commit a controlled substance crime.
Jason Shane Marlin, the police chief, is charged with two counts of failure to report ethics crime and tampering with physical evidence.
William Andrew Shelnutt is charged with tampering with physical evidence.
Eric Michael Kelso is charged with four counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance and two counts of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute a controlled substance.
Donna Kelso two counts of Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance and two counts of Criminal Conspiracy to Commit a Controlled Substance Crime.
Some Media from AP and ABC News
