At an emergency meeting of the Vincent City Council on August 4, members moved to suspend with pay the Chief of Police James Srygley and Assistant Chief of Police John L. Gross. The third officer, Lee Cardin, resigned later that evening after the council voted to pursue fully dissolving the department.
It left the city’s nearly 2,000 residents with no active police officers.
“The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office was recently notified by the Vincent City Council and Mayor regarding the recent allegations of misconduct within the Vincent Police Department, and we equally condemn these actions,” the release stated. “Sheriff [John] Samaniego stands with the City of Vincent in providing emergency law enforcement-related services for the citizens during this time.”
“To me, that was just a punch in the gut like going back to the 1930s and 40s, and I often forget that we’re still not there,” Lois Garrett, a local resident, told WBRC. “It hurt. I was hurt; I was embarrassed because I thought we were better than that.”
CNN reached out to members of the city council and the Vincent police officers but has not heard back.
The council is set to discuss the matter at their upcoming meeting on August 16.
