A married police chief in North Carolina was fired for consistently asking for nude photos from his captain's wife on social media. His subordinate was appointed as the new top cop for the town earlier this month. Jon Clark, who held the position of Mars Hill's police chief since 2021, reportedly sought a relationship with Captain Chad Wilson's wife last year.
His alleged actions involved requesting topless photos via Snapchat. The woman chose not to respond to Clark's request, and she shared screenshots of the inappropriate requests with her husband, who got furious and decided to take action. Her husband then shared the screenshots with the Town Manager Nathan Bennett.
Indecent Proposal Costs Job
"Your conduct in attempting to pursue a romantic relationship with the wife of one of your officers is reprehensible," Bennett wrote in a letter dated October 16, 2023, which was obtained by WLOS.
"To actively solicit that relationship, is unforgivable and put your entire Department and the Town of Mars Hill at risk," Bennett added in Clark's termination note.
Wilson's wife was very strict about the entire episode and didn't entertain Clark despite his repeated requests to share her nudes via Snapchat. Instead, she shared the screenshots of the distasteful demands of Clark with her husband, who sent them to Bennett.
Upon examining the messages, Bennett decided to hire an independent investigator to delve into the allegations. The investigation revealed that Clark had lied to both Bennett and the investigator when confronted about his actions.
"[Your] blatantly telling untruths to me and the investigator employed by the Town leaves me with no choice but to terminate you."
The law enforcement officer allegedly confessed to Bennett about sending the messages to the woman, as reported by the News-Record & Sentinel.
Clark had served the Mars Hill Police Department since 2016, and the outlet mentioned that he has three daughters with his high school sweetheart.
Unlike a Cop
Clark faced additional accusations of insubordination, as he allegedly left a meeting with Bennett and promptly communicated with both the police department and the "victims of his conduct."
In addition to the lewd requests, Bennett said that the former chief of police displayed unsafe use of his department-provided weapons and engaged in improper use of his town-supplied vehicle.
"Your handling of firearms in your office in which you did not have them in a locked and safe place is totally contrary to all concepts of gun safety, particularly for a law enforcement officer," the letter stated.
"Obviously after reaching this decision at this point in our relationship, I have no choice but to notify the Criminal Justice Standards Commission," Bennett added.
Earlier in the current month, Chad Wilson was appointed as Clark's replacement, with the effective date set for January 1.
"I am enthusiastic about taking the helm of this department and moving it forward," Wilson told the News-Record & Sentinel, but declined to talk about the firing of Clark, as it was a personal matter.
"He's a hard worker," he said. "He loves that job, and does very good work with it. It just made sense. So, we're excited to get going, and to get back on track," Bennett said.
After being fired, Clark was hired by the Madison County's Sheriff's Department as a School Resource Officer at Madison Early College High School. However, he failed to report for his scheduled shift on January 8, and the school's Superintendent, Dr. Will Hoffman, confirmed that he would not be returning to work, according to ABC 13.
