The Starkville Board of Aldermen placed Starkville Police Chief David Lindley on indefinite administrative leave Friday after meeting for almost an hour behind closed doors.
Former Assistant Chief John Outlaw will fill the position in the interim until so ordered by the board. His pay was set at $38.22 per hour. Outlaw retired from SPD in 2010 after joining the department in 1979.
The board approved the Lindley’s suspension in a 7-0 vote, Mayor Parker Wiseman confirmed after the meeting. City officials, aldermen and the mayor declined to comment on the matter, citing the nature of policy regarding personnel matters. Although the board gave no reasoning behind the move, its action points at an internal city investigation involving Lindley.
A source within the police department who asked to remain anonymous said the suspension was linked to the department’s handling of a traffic accident on Nov. 16.
Besides handing over his city-issued vehicle, Lindley was also ordered to have no contact with SPD personnel while on administrative leave.
Lindley was unavailable for comment after the board meeting.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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