Cullman County grand jury calls for the Hanceville Police Department to be abolished
A grand jury in Cullman County said Hanceville’s entire police department should be disbanded after allegations of corruption. This follows the arrest of several officers and the death of a 911 dispatcher.
The indictment from the grand jury alleges that five officers including the police chief of the Hanceville Police Department tampered with physical evidence, sold and distributed illegal drugs and used an official position for personal gain.
“There is a rampant culture of corruption in the Hanceville Police Department, which has recently operated as more of a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency,” the grand jury wrote.
One of the officer’s spouses was also arrested on similar charges.
The grand jury added that the Hanceville Police is an active threat to public safety. It said the death of the dispatcher, who died in August 2024 of an accidental drug overdose, is a direct result of the department’s negligence and disregard for human life.
“This is a sad day for law enforcement,” Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker said. “But at the same time, it is a good day for the rule of law.”
The grand jury called for another local or state agency to take over law enforcement for Hanceville. It added that the officers in custody should be suspended from law enforcement under Alabama Peace Officer standards.
The grand jury’s findings follow an investigation by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation, the Alabama Ethics Commission and the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office.
As a result of that investigation, the grand jury found that officers failed to keep and maintain evidence which then became unusable and, as a result, failed crime victims and the public. Videos produced by the investigation showed that the evidence room housed in the Hanceville Police Department was not secure. In one such video, an unidentified employee is seen propping open the door to the evidence room through a hole in the wall with a broomstick.
“With these indictments, these officers find themselves on the opposite ends of the laws they were sworn to uphold,” Crocker said. “Wearing a badge is a privilege and an honor and most law enforcement officers take that seriously. A badge is not a license to corrupt the administration of justice.”
That alleged facility negligence was found elsewhere in the department as well.
“We, the grand jury, have zero confidence in the Hanceville Police Department’s ability to maintain the jail or meet basic health and safety needs of jail personnel and inmates,” the grand jury wrote.
Hanceville Mayor Jim Sawyer said in a statement that the city council will act quickly to address the problems in the police department.
“The Hanceville Police Department has fallen short in its mission to serve the people,” Sawyer wrote.
Deadly flash floods kill 13 in San Antonio and at least 3 in West Virginia
Fast-paced floodwaters in San Antonio left 13 people dead. West Virginia also witnessed at least three deaths from flash flooding, with more people missing.
Food worker with ‘fantasy’ of security career sought in Minnesota political shootings
Vance Boelter, the subject of a nationwide manhunt, described himself as an experienced security professional who worked in conflict zones. A friend said at least part of that account is "fantasy."
At least 8 dead in shooting near Israeli and US-supported aid sites in Gaza
Witnesses said Israeli forces opened fire around dawn toward crowds of desperate Palestinians heading to two aid sites in the southern city of Rafah.
People told my dad not to bother educating his 4 daughters. He didn’t listen
On Father's Day, Esther Ngumbi thinks of the sacrifices her Kenyan dad made to ensure that not only his son but his four daughters got an education. He'd say, "I choose to educate you, my girls."
3 takeaways from the military parade and No Kings protests on Trump’s birthday
The U.S. Army celebrated its 250th anniversary on Saturday with a massive military parade in Washington, D.C., against a backdrop of political division and protests savaging President Trump.
Israel and Iran trade more deadly strikes in third day of escalating conflict
At least ten people were killed in Israel overnight, after multiple Iranian missiles evaded the country's advanced defense systems. Explosions rocked Tehran, but casualties weren't immediately clear.