A grand jury in Alabama has made the unprecedented recommendation to immediately dissolve the Hanceville Police Department, citing a deep-rooted culture of corruption that has turned the agency into “more of a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency.”
The investigation was prompted by the August 23, 2024, death of 49-year-old dispatcher Christopher Michael Willingham, who died of a fentanyl overdose while on duty, NBC News reports.
According to findings, drugs were easily accessible due to the department’s gross mismanagement of its evidence room. Photos presented to the jury showed a gaping hole in the evidence room wall, alongside a broomstick being used to prop open the door—raising serious concerns about security.
Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker, who reviewed the case, did not mince words. “Nothing was secure about the evidence room,” he stated.
This glaring negligence allowed Willingham potential access to the very substances that ultimately took his life.
Following the grand jury’s findings, Police Chief Jason Marlin and four other officers have been indicted on various charges, including tampering with evidence and drug-related offenses.
The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office has now taken over law enforcement duties for Hanceville, a city of about 3,200 residents located 45 miles north of Birmingham.
Beyond the shocking mismanagement of the evidence room, the grand jury found additional instances of misconduct and illegal activity within the department. This led them to conclude that the agency was beyond repair and needed to be shut down entirely.
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The grand jury’s report painted a grim picture of the police force, stating that its officers had engaged in unlawful behavior that “eroded public trust and endangered the community they were sworn to protect.”
The report also emphasized that the corruption was so widespread that reforms would not be enough to correct the situation—the department had to be completely dismantled.
In response to the grand jury’s recommendation, Hanceville Mayor Jim Sawyer expressed deep disappointment over the findings, acknowledging that the corruption scandal had severely damaged the city’s reputation.
“It is truly unfortunate that the actions of a few have cast such a dark cloud over our city,” Sawyer said.
He assured residents that the city council would take swift action to address the issues raised in the report and determine the future of law enforcement in Hanceville.
With its police department now under investigation and its leadership facing criminal charges, Hanceville faces an uncertain future as it navigates the fallout of this explosive scandal.
