North Carolina police chief placed on unpaid leave for telling officers about ‘clinic’ to obtain Covid-19 vaccination cards without getting the shots
T.J. Smith — the police chief of Oakboro Town, North Carolina — violated policies including, fraud, willful acts that endanger the property of others and serving a conflicting interest when he allegedly told officers about the scheme, according to a letter addressed to him from Town Administrator Doug Burgess.
The alleged violations stem from “detrimental personal conduct including notifying law enforcement officers to attend a ‘clinic’ where they would be able to obtain proof of COVID 19 vaccination cards without being vaccinated,” the letter said.
The one-page letter — signed by Burgess and released Tuesday — says Smith was ordered to go on unpaid leave for two weeks and probation for six months beginning December 21. Smith has the right to appeal, the letter states.
The disciplinary measures came after the town hired Blue Chameleon Investigations to conduct an independent probe into the matter, and the decision was made based on the findings, Burgess told CNN.
Smith, in a statement to the local newspaper, said in part: “To make a long story short, in retrospect, I made a mistake.”
“After I got off the phone with that friend, I called two other officers (not in my department) and passed on information about what was described as a ‘self-vaccination’ clinic,” he says in a portion of the statement. “I got one phone call, hung up and made two others. I didn’t sit back and digest the information, ruminate on it, or otherwise give it much thought. I just passed it on.”
CNN has reached out to Smith for comment.