Crime & Courts
Police chief in small Carolinas town accused of home break-in
The police chief and a police captain in Pageland, S.C., have been named as subjects in a home break-in, multiple media outlets reported Thursday.
Pageland is about 40 miles southeast of Charlotte and has about 2,750 residents.
According to the Chesterfield County, S.C., Sheriff’s Office, Police Chief Craig Greenlee is accused of breaking into the home of one of his employees in the 500 block of Brock Road in Pageland.
The victim told deputies he found several items knocked over and his duty belt and radio stolen on Monday, Observer news partner WBTV reported.
The victim said the chief and Pageland Police Capt. Dean Short were at his home to discuss why he was late to work, the station reported. The victim told the sheriff’s office that Greenlee confessed to having the victim’s duty belt and radio, according to WBTV.
No charges have been filed, although Greenlee and Short might face burglary and breaking and entering charges, deputies told WBTV.
WSOC-TV identified the victim as Officer Brandon Roberts, who the station said was supposed to be at work but went to a family event in North Carolina instead before returning home.
Roberts said Greenlee and Short “chewed him out” for missing work, telling him work comes first, and threatening to fire him and have his certification as an officer revoked, WSOC-TV reported, citing a police report.
The report said the chief and captain returned the missing gear to Roberts, while telling him to “press his shirt” and get to work, according to WSOC-TV. Roberts returned to work and later filed a report of the burglary with the sheriff's office, the station reported.
The sheriff’s office turned the case over to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division on Wednesday, according to WSOC-TV.
Joe Marusak: 704-358-5067, @jmarusak
This story was originally published June 1, 2017 4:00 PM.
