A married North Carolina police chief was fired after he repeatedly asked his captain’s wife for nude photos on social media, as his subordinate was named his replacement as the town’s top cop earlier this month.
Jon Clark, who served as Mars Hill’s police chief since 2021, allegedly solicited a relationship with the wife of Captain Chad Wilson last year, requesting topless photos through Snapchat.
“Your conduct in attempting to pursue a romantic relationship with the wife of one of your officers is reprehensible,” Town Manager Nathan Bennett wrote in a letter dated Oct. 16, 2023 and 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.
The woman did not respond to Clark’s request and shared screenshots of the distasteful inquiries with her husband who in turn shared them with Bennett.
After reviewing the messages, Bennett hired an independent investigator to look into the allegations with the note indicating Clark had lied to both of them when he was 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 admitted to Bennett to sending the messages to the woman, according to the News-Record & Sentinel.
Clark had served with the Mars Hill Police Department since 2016 and shares three daughters with his high school sweetheart, the outlet added.
Clark was also accused of insubordination by leaving a meeting with Bennett and immediately communicating with the police department and “the victims of his conduct,” which were also deemed blatant by the town manager.
Along with the lewd requests, Bennett said the now-former chief of police showed unsafe use of his department-provided weapons and 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 this month, Chad Wilson was named as Clark’s replacement effective as of 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.
Following his firing, Clark was hired by the Madison County’s Sheriff’s Department as a School Resource Officer at Madison Early College High School.
He did not show up for his shift on Jan. 8. and would “not be returning to work” the school’s Superintendent Dr. Will Hoffman confirmed to ABC 13.
Mars Hill is located inside Madison County and 20 miles north of Asheville in the Appalachian mountains in the Northwest corner of the state.
With Post wires
