Huntsville police chief addresses 5th officer arrest since July

Just a day before Nickelson was charged, HPD sergeant Timothy Richards was charged with firing off his pepper spray while off duty.

Earlier this month, officers George Wheeler III and Scott Hartman were arrested the same week for two different crashes while driving under the influence.

Then, back in July, Chadwick Campbell was charged with willful torture/abuse of a child.

Two DUIs? Child abuse? Pepper spray? Embezzlement of taxpayer money?

Nickelson has bonded out of jail. Wheeler, Hartman, and Campbell have been placed on desk duty, and Sergeant Richards was placed on administrative leave.

Oh good thing those two DUIs and the child abuse resulted in desk duty. Glad those cops got sufficient punishment. We wouldn’t want them to lose their jobs over this. Who else could we trust to enforce the law but those who break it?

Thankfully their police chief knows how to crack a joke:

Trust is not given - it is earned. It comes from consistent actions that reflect our mission: to serve and protect. We remain committed to upholding the highest standards, and you can count on us to serve Huntsville with honor.