- Beachbook
- Coastal Review Online
- Dare County
- Duck
- Island Free Press
- Kill Devil Hills
- Kitty Hawk
- Manteo
- Nags Head
- Nighthawk News
- Southern Shores
- Bill's OBX Beach Life
- N.E.S.T Online
- Natural Outer Banks
- Red Headed Beach Girl
- Rosie Hawthorne
- See more local blogs »
Documents emerge on leave for KDH sergeant
After a Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by four former Kill Devil Hills police officers against the town and top officials, a number of new documents emerged.
Two of the newer ones center on the case of Sgt. Ed Anderson.
In March, several months before the suit was dismissed, it was revealed that KDH Police Chief Gary Britt’s daughter had been enrolled in Dare County schools. County documents showed that Britt and his wife resided in Currituck County.
The child was registered in Dare County schools using the address of a police officer subordinate to Britt — Anderson, who rented a home in Southern Shores.
When that information became public, the attorney representing the four police officers filing suit began asking for documents from the Dare County school system.
He also wished to depose Anderson.
Unknown to the attorney, on March 7, six days after the school enrollment story appeared on the Internet, Anderson, who had been with the force for just over a year, filed a “Continuance Form” with the court.
Click for a larger view »
The form stated Anderson would be leaving the country from March 25 through Sept. 25 — a six-month leave of absence for a new employee and supervisor over the course of the entire summer tourist season.
Anderson signed the continuance form on his own and also on behalf of his supervisor. The District Attorney and a judge approved it.
Dennis Rose, representing the four plaintiffs, filed a motion to expedite deposing Anderson before he left the country. Their suit had reiterated formal complaints with a Superior Court judge alleging mistreatment by the chief and town administration. An internal investigation by the town had found no intentional wrongdoing after the chief was suspended for several months.
Because some of Rose’s clients had alleged Chief Britt had falsified their personnel files, the officers told the Voice that their attorney wanted to depose Anderson on the question of whether any falsification of documents occurred in the school registration issue.
The attorney for the town and League of Municipalities, Dan Hartzog, Jr., filed a counter-motion to delay deposing Anderson until his leave of absence expired.
Hartzog’s motion stated: “Sgt. Anderson has signed an affidavit stating he has been requested by the United States Department of Justice to begin an assignment which requires him to travel to Afghanistan in connection with a counter narcotics program.”
Hartzog further stated: “Anderson is expected to return to the country September 25”. Hartzog noted the dates of departure were subject to change.
Rose never got to depose Anderson.
On July 17, the case against the town was dismissed in Superior Court by a visiting judge.
In an affidavit that emerged after the case was dismissed, Officer Joe Knight, one of the four plaintiffs in the suit, attests under oath that he saw Anderson shopping in the Kitty Hawk Harris Teeter store on April 5, almost two weeks after the town and its legal counsel argued that Anderson would not be available.
In his affidavit, Knight states he approached Anderson close enough for Knight to confirm his identity and in return, Anderson was aware of Knight’s presence.
The police department later fired Knight, allegedly for “interfering with” Britt’s ability to manage the department.
In an email to the Kill Devil Hills Police Department, where all media questions concerning employees must be directed, we asked through the department’s administration for Anderson to respond to questions about his reported presence in the county after March 25.
Specifically, we asked: “We would like Mr. Anderson to verify if he was in Kitty Hawk on April 5, 2012. We would also like to ask Mr. Anderson if he was in Dare, Currituck, or Hampton Roads Virginia at any time after March 23, 2012 and if so, what dates?”
Anderson did not reply, but Britt did and copied his response to Assistant Town Manager Shawn Murphy, who heads human resources, and Anderson.
Britt did not answer our question concerning Anderson’s whereabouts.
Instead, he told the Voice, “Officer Anderson was on approved leave during the times that you are inquiring about.”
Still unclear is why the town would allow a new supervisor to take a paying job elsewhere and grant a leave during the busiest time of the year for police officers.
And the timing of Anderson’s departure in light of the pending legal action raises more unanswered questions about how the town has handled the police department controversy.
See what people are saying:
Join the discussion:
- MOST READ
- MOST DISCUSSED
Frank Moore says:
There is still smoke from this apparently never ending fire concerning Britt and his gang. The gang apparently consists of the Town administrators, our leaders?? There needs to be a clean sweep in Town Hall but apparently will not happen until Britt (my way of the highway) approves the termination of the town manager, assistant town manager and others in the administratin who are involved in this black eye for our lovely Town but why would he, they all are running block for him !!
Common sense says:
Russ, can you confirm a rumor that Anderson has resigned his position with KDH PD?
Russ Lay says:
Inside sources have told us that but we have not confirmed.
Local gal says:
Good job Russ!! Looks like they just can’t close those cans of worms! Keep it up!
SekZ says:
I had met officer Anderson, I believe it was the last week of August 2012. I was checking a property that tenants had recently been evicted and I had to call the police in because of some things that were left behind. Officer Anderson was the responding officer. He did say to me that he just recently returned from Afghanistan, but if he was to be on leave till the 25th of September then something isn’t adding up. He seemed like a great person/officer though. Honestly one of the best and honest officers I’ve met in a while. I do also know Officer Knight, not personally but professionally and he has always shown great respect for his position. Its a shame all this is happening, on every account.
one suggestion says:
1. Who in their right mind approves a 6 month leave of absence that falls during the busiest time of the year?
2. How is it that a public official such as a Chief of Police can refuse to answer questions from the public?
3. Where is the Chief’s child registered for school this year?
There is some shady shady stuff going on with police chief and his friend. The same can also be said Town Manager and her assistant.
Maybe we should start a rumor that another big box hardware store is going to be put at the town hall, then maybe the new board would go down there and figure out just what in the hell is going on!
too much time on our hands says:
Why cant we worry about the drugs that are in our schools or the gangs that are fighting in our towns instead of this petty bs? It says right in the article that Sgt Anderson was on leave for deployment with the Department of Defense.. well last time I checked neither the town or anyone else for that matter can delay the United States Government or its agencies when it comes to deployment’s! I would rather know that my children are safe because officers are worrying about crime instead of everyone else’s business!
The Taxpayer says:
If Anderson was working for the DOD, I’ll kiss every cow’s rump in Texas! He was working for a private contractor who was given a security contract by the DOD, which makes Anderson a private citizen working overseas, not an employee of the DOD, and as such, was in no way “deployed,” which is why Anderson took a leave of absence.
If you want your children to be safe you better start demanding answers from your elected officials, because the gross mismanagement of the police department results in less than stellar officer performance. As a taxpayer I feel cheated!
Frank Moore says:
@ The Taxpayer is 100% correct. How will Britt and his gang, the Mayor, the Town Manager(that’s a joke but it is a job title) and the assistant Town Manager (same comment as for the Town Manager)spin this ??? Just a thought.
Another suggestion says:
I love how Anderson used the word “Deployment” in his description for his leave of absence. It is a total insult to every service man and woman that is truly fighting for this country. He was not requested nor was he drafted, he CHOSE to go overseas and make very very good money for 6 months while our service men and women are struggling to make a house payment.
And…he was able to take a 6 month break while his fellow officers covered his shifts and were probbaly denied vacation because there were not enough officers on the street.
local gal says:
@one suggestion: Britts child is attending school in Curitcuk, which happens to be the county he continues to reside. If there was “allegedly” no issue with his child attending school in Dare county then why all of a sudden is the child re-registered in Curituck??? Poor kid, what a disruption for her.
lisa ray says:
Can any one Please tell me the where about of Mr. Anderson?? If he plans on returning to the OBX?? …please any info would be greatly appreciated.