Monday, February 4, 2013

In Case You Missed It - The Charlotte Observer on Chuck Adkins

High-ranking CMPD official wants rare open hearing before civil service board

A high-ranking police officer is appealing a decision that he is to be fired after failing to notify the department about a woman who had showed up at his house and told him she was being abused.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police recommended Capt. Chuck Adkins be fired on Oct. 12. But officers can formally appeal a termination to the Charlotte Civil Service Board, a group of civilians that reviews discipline for police and firefighters.

The board, which can overturn or lessen punishments, was scheduled to take up Adkins’ case on Wednesday, but the hearing has been postponed.

Police and an attorney for the civil service board declined to talk about Adkins’ case, citing state personnel laws.

Adkins, who last served as a watch commander overseeing police operations on nights or weekends, told the Observer he doesn’t believe his actions warranted termination.

Last fall, Adkins said, a 19-year-old woman approached him on a Thursday night as he tinkered around in his northeast Charlotte garage with his police cruiser parked outside. Adkins, who works an overnight shift, had taken a sleeping pill as he prepared to go on vacation to the beach and says he was groggy.

He said he invited the distressed woman inside his home and, as she talked, noticed she was bruised. In what Adkins described as a brief conversation, the woman said her boyfriend had beaten her at house nearby and she had fled. She then used the officer’s cell phone to call a friend for a ride, Adkins said.

“Like I would with any domestic violence victim, I told her she deserved to be treated better than this,” Adkins told the Observer.

He said he recommended that the woman report the crime. “I said you’re really injured. You’ve got visible injuries. Then her ride pulled up, she ran down the driveway and she said ‘I promise I’ll call 911 as soon as I get where I’m going.’ ”

Adkins said he did not get the woman’s name, the name of the man she accused of hitting her or the street address where the crime occurred.

The next day, his family took a trip to the beach. A day later, in the Observer, he said he saw a photo of the woman, whom he says had been reported missing.

Adkins said he then called the missing persons unit and told them he had been in contact with the woman. He told investigators she had used his cell phone to call for a ride. The investigator dialed that number and made contact with the woman, who was unharmed.

But a few days later, the department collected Adkins’ police-issued equipment and suspended him. CMPD recommended Adkins be fired on Oct. 12, according to police Spokesman Rob Tufano.

Hearings before the civil service board are usually closed, but Adkins has requested an open hearing, which means anyone in the public can attend, according to Terrie Hagler-Gray, an attorney for the board. The hearing has not yet been rescheduled.

Adkins says he has nothing to hide.

“I don’t think I did anything wrong,” he said. “I think I could have helped her out a little bit more. I don’t know that it would have made a difference. But…. I don’t think it’s worthy of termination. Everything I did in this case was to try to help her.”

Adkins is a 21-year veteran of the department. He has served as a watch commander, the highest-ranking officer on duty at night and on the weekends. His salary was $92,189, according to the city’s salary database.

Adkins previously worked for the communications division, which oversees the city’s 911 program. He also has headed the internal affairs unit, which investigates officer misconduct.

He’s also been involved in previous incidents that made headlines.

Adkins was a party in a neighborhood dispute a year ago, when a 16-year-old complained that Adkins had put dog feces in the family mailbox. The youth said Adkins blamed him for recent crimes in the neighborhood where the teen and Adkins lived.

There is no record of any action being taken by the department in that case.

The orginal story in The Charlotte Observer is here.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

You originally thought Tuesday at 4. Now the Observer says postponed from Wednesday at 4. No location verified. Is there a new date/loc. set? Adkins wants it open. Can you contact him and find out? Why did they postpone--are they negotiating to cancel it and reinstate?

Rea Road Neighborhood Coalition said...

Normally hearings are over a 3 day period. It was Adkins right to request an open hearing.

On this information CP contacted a couple of MSM to see if they were planning to send a reporter or two.

A few calls and emails later it was clear that the MSM interest was pretty good. However just as the time and place were nailed down, there came word that te hearing had been postponed to Feb 25-27.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Cedar turned the hounds loose, they picked up the scent and it led right to Rottney.

With all the media attention Rottney called off the hearing,

Well played if you ask me.

Anonymous said...

Take it as a lesson. Talk.

Anonymous said...

Very well played indeed!!!
Wonder who will show up at the hearing to testify?
This is gonna be good!!

Now why isn't the MSM looking into
the cop that is still working after being found guilty?

Anonymous said...

So lemme get this straight, Adkins requests an "Open Hearing" which is not standard but is an option, of course anything open would stress Rodney, so they set a date.

Then CP gets word that the hearing is this week and alerts the mainstream media who start asking the who, what, where, why and when questions.

The Observer gets all over this and even snags a couple of answers from Adkins.

As the day rolls on the meeting is suddenly put off for two weeks.

The request for delay comes from snotball Selvey's office after calls to Rob overload his voice mail.

Very interesting.

Even the tone of the Observer story is pro Adkins.

Just think if Adkins keeps his job he is going to sing OMG this is funny.

Anonymous said...

What a brillant play, whomever his lawyer is, a brillant move!!

Just maybe their arrogance and stupidity is going to nail them this time! Their Teflon shield is melting....

Let's just hope the lawyer asks the right, revealing questions and doesn't just scratch the surface....there is so much to this case! I think they have screwed over way too many people to be able to keep the lid on this boiling pot.

You just cannot keep destroying the lives of people and destroying CMPD with impunity without the truth about the corruption brought by Rodney coming out.

What is that saying? Don't step on people on the way up, you might have to face them on the way down? And Rodney has built a feagile house of cards with a foundation of corruption, lies, cover ups, bias and arrogance.

Anonymous said...

They have been out to "get" Chuck from the beginning.

And Rodney's bitch Cam Selvey is behind most of it from what I hear. You can't trust him or anyone that is "friends" with him. He spreads lies, innuendo and rumors like manure. He makes the koolaid.... How else would he justify his actions and lack of integrity?

They better be aware that "retaliation" does not look good.
And that is exactly what this is.

Anonymous said...

Someone said on the other post the Cam was an standup guy.

Well, not the Cam Selvey I know. What I see is a butt munching yes man who does whatever his mentor Rodney Monroe wants.

I promise you the only reason the hearing was postponed was the unwanted media attention.

Anonymous said...

You cannot trust anyone...even those that profess to be your friend.

They will turn right around and stab you right square in the back, if it benefits them in any way.....

It is disappointing and demoralizing, to say the least.

Anonymous said...

ATTENTION CHUCK ADKINS: Please give public & advance notice of the rescheduling of your hearing-- time, date, and location. Make sure you follow all procedures, written requests, to make it an open hearing.

Use your subpoena powers--testimony and documents-- here well for information related to discipline. Pattern and Practice.

Whatever the outcome, make it a valuable experience.

Anonymous said...

Adkins because he is white and because he would not fake crime reports and objected to Rodney Monroe's management style finds himself at a CSB hearing.

While one of Rodney's ass kissing buddies keeps his job even after becoming a convicted felon.

Simple as black and white

Anonymous said...

Anon 8:20
Correct.

And all because Cam Selvey refuses to operate IA as it was intended to be: as a seperate entity.... One that is supposed to protect the integrity of the department.

Instead, it has become a weapon used effectively
by Monroe via Selvey to intimidate and bully, and manipulate to obtain the results he wants.

Selvey is in the wrong job and is dangerous in that job.
He has used it , as has Monroe, to carry out personal vendettas, he has lost all objectivity and any sense of fair play and ethics.

Anonymous said...

8:20

I still dont beleive Selveys actions are his own. He is under the thumb of the most corrupt police chief CMPD has ever had. I said "most corrupt". Way back when CMPD had a few ringers but not like this one. Provide us with info on incidents to prove your statements have solidity.

Anonymous said...

Selvey has options, so if he follows through on what Monroe tells him to do, that is HIS choice.

So his actions are very much his own.

That he is "under Rodney's thumb" is no excuse.

He is under his thumb because he made the decision that rank is more important than ethics and truth.

His choice.

Anonymous said...

im still waiting on proof of what you say. Talk is cheap..

Anonymous said...

I think Cam will be advising Monroe to suck it up on this case and take a loss. If the real truth of the incident gets out Monroe will definitely find himslef in an investigation by, hmmm..maybe the FBI? He should re-instate Chuck, give him back pay and compensation and above all admit his wrong doing. If Chuck's attorney gets to introduce his time in communications and why he was sent to the duty cpt's office then Levins and Graue will find themselves in the hot seat also from what i hear. So CHIEF, do the right thing and make it all go away. It isnt worth it.

Anonymous said...

So when is the hearing?

Should be an interesting one.

Will Medlock be there?

Anonymous said...

There is a mention about an FBI search that seemed to come from Rodney to Brigetta Mack a few weeks ago.

Wonder what that was all about?

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:14
Agree.

Also they should do the right thing for the other Captain....
just settle it. I can only imagine what will come out at that trial! It involves the Chief.... And to actually get him
on the stand..,..well, the possibilities would be endless.

But they are not smart, and NOT inclined to do the right thing.

Now, ask them to cover up and protect their guys, they are all over that.

Bur that is the definition of corrupt.

Anonymous said...

Cedar, Friends at CMPD told me there are "changes afoot".

Of course no one knows what yet, because the powers that be like to float the rumors and get everyone whipped into a
Frenzy!

And it will be all of Monroe 's buddies and butt smoochers being promoted, so what is new?

He has flat out ruined the department, can't do much more damage!