DUMFRIES, Va. -- Longtime Dumfries Police Chief Calvin L. Johnson and another town officer have been placed on administrative leave with pay.
Johnson, who has been with the Dumfries Police Department for 27 years and has served as chief since 1995, was placed on administrative leave Saturday, said Town Manager Kimberly Alexander.
Dumfries police Officer John Chapman, who has been with the department since 2006, was placed on administrative leave Friday. Chapman, a patrol officer, also heads up the department’s Internet crimes against children efforts. He has been involved in the arrest of sexual predators from across the country.
“At this point I cannot be specific as to why [the officers were placed on leave] while certain matters are still being investigated,” Alexander said.
Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney Paul Ebert on Monday would not say Monday whether a criminal investigation is under way.
The Dumfries Town Council called an emergency meeting Saturday morning. It met in executive session for about 90 minutes to discuss personnel, said Dumfries Mayor Fred Yohey.
Johnson was informed that he was being placed on administrative leave by Alexander after the council meeting, Yohey said.
Yohey said he had originally thought the closed session meeting was so that the council could be updated on the status of former Dumfries police Officer Nathan Vinyard who was arrested in September on charges of obtaining money by false pretenses. Vinyard is charged with selling town-owned firing range equipment and keeping the money. His court appearance has been delayed twice and is now scheduled for May.
"We were all shocked and taken aback when we found out the meeting was about something else and about what was being investigated," Yohey said. He did not elaborate.
Alexander initiated an assessment of the Dumfries Police Department in January after she said she heard too many stories of misconduct and wanted to separate fact from fiction.
She contacted the law enforcement consulting firm FifteenOct to conduct the assessment. That report has not been completed yet.
Alexander said that she anticipates an acting police chief will be appointed by the Dumfries Town Council following a closed session held during its regular meeting Tuesday.
Staff writer Aileen Streng can be reached at 703-878-8010.
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