Georgia county fires ex-police chief awaiting trial

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia county has fired it’s former police chief 10 months after he was placed on leave following his indictment on malfeasance charges.

Former Glynn County Police Chief John Powell was notified of his formal termination in a letter last week, The Brunswick News reported Monday.

Powell is among four police officers charged last year in what prosecutors called an illegal effort to cover up a narcotics officer’s affair with a confidential informant. Charges against Powell include perjury and witness tampering.

The scandal ultimately led to the dismantling of Glynn County police’s drug task force. It also sparked a failed attempt by state lawmakers to abolish the county police department and hand law enforcement in parts of Glynn County outside Brunswick back to the elected county sheriff.

County Manager Alan Ours said in his letter to Powell that allowing the former chief “a continued open-ended leave of absence is unreasonably indefinite and places an undue hardship on Glynn County and its ability to properly and efficiently utilize taxpayer funds and manage its personnel system.”