A troubling situation in the heart of Cass County just took another unfortunate turn, as approximately 1,500 people in the City of Virginia have no one with a badge sworn to protect and serve.
First reported by the Jacksonville Journal-Courier, the Virginia Police Department, at this time, does not have any active police officers.
The one police officer that had been hired by the department to temporarily fill the shoes of their chief has resigned. Bryce Kennedy had been hired part-time by the Virginia Police Department to do the work that is typically performed by the Virginia Police Chief.
That being said, the future of Virginia’s current police chief within the department is unclear, as he is currently on unpaid medical leave. Wes Helmich was hired in December 2017 to become the new chief of police, but was in a one-vehicle accident on his motorcycle on August 19th that earned Helmich a citation for driving under the influence of alcohol. He was officially placed on unpaid medical leave on October 8th.
According to the Journal-Courier, the city is actively looking for part-time replacements to fill the void.
A pre-trial court date has been set for Wes Helmich on January 3rd at 1 p.m, with a status hearing set for next Tuesday the 27th at 9 a.m., according to Cass County court documentation.