Police chief in North Carolina mountains indicted on felony charges. What we know.
A police chief in the North Carolina mountains has been indicted on felony charges and suspended without pay, media outlets reported.
A Cherokee County grand jury on Sept. 18 indicted Andrews Police Chief Rocky Burrell on nine felony counts of obtaining property by false pretenses, The Cherokee Scout reported.
Thursday night, the Andrews Board of Aldermen suspended Burrell and appointed an interim chief , WLOS reported.
Burrell is being treated for cancer in an Atlanta hospital, Andrews Mayor James Reid told the station. Reid couldn’t be reached for comment by The Charlotte Observer on Saturday.
It was unknown Saturday what the indictments allege. The documents will remain sealed until they’re served on Burrell, according to The Cherokee Scout.
The 44-year-old Burrell was appointed police chief on Aug. 2, 2021, WKRK reported at the time.
About 1,700 people live in Andrews, located in a valley in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The town is about 90 miles southwest of Asheville and 210 miles west of Charlotte.
This story was originally published September 23, 2023 at 1:06 PM.