An Oklahoma police chief and three officers have resigned over conflicts with city officials.
The resignations came over complaints that the Holdenville City Council was playing politics with the police department, KFOR-TV reports. Two now-former police officers expressed their frustration at a council meeting Tuesday.
“It’s a vicious political war,” said Cameron Grizzle, who resigned from the department Saturday.
Grizzle and former Chief Conny Clay has claimed that Council Member Bill Freeman abused his power concerning an incident involving a friend's stolen items. According to Grizzle, Freeman demanded the officer arrest a suspect caught on camera, but Grizzle could only file for an arrest warrant.
“I did it fully within the law,” he said. “I get it he was frustrated, but I can’t break the law.”
Freeman calls the allegations false and said he only was looking for his friend to feel safe.
The Holdenville Police Department has three remaining officers to patrol the town of roughly 5,500 people.
