It seems the fine city of Henderson has found itself in a bit of a pickle, and at the center of this briny affair is none other than Chief of Police Hollie Chadwick. According to a proclamation—delivered, one imagines, with all the solemnity of a judge at a hanging—Chadwick has been placed on administrative leave and given an option that is hardly an option at all–resign within 21 days or be forcibly escorted from the premises.
In its infinite wisdom, the city has declined to elaborate on the precise nature of Chadwick’s sudden predicament, leaving the public to speculate with all the enthusiasm of old-timers at a general store. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Itzhak Henn has been installed as the acting chief, though he, too, has been struck with a curious affliction that renders him unable to comment on the matter.
Chadwick, who first took the reins as chief in May of 2023, had been a fixture of the Henderson Police Department for 21 years, working her way through various leadership roles, including overseeing SWAT operations—a fact that makes her current predicament all the more ironic. Yet, despite her apparent fall from grace, her photograph still beamed down from the city’s official website as of Thursday.
When pressed for comment, the Henderson Police Department proved as talkative as a clam, deferring all inquiries to the City of Henderson’s communications office. It seems the city’s manager, Stephanie Garcia-Vause, holds the keys to the administrative kingdom, wielding the power to hire and fire as she pleases.
And if history is any guide, Chadwick is not the first to find herself at odds with city hall. Two of her predecessors, LaTesha Watson and Patrick Moers, each found cause to file lawsuits after their untimely departures in 2023 and 2018, respectively.
Whether Chadwick will follow in their litigious footsteps remains to be seen. Henderson has a habit of showing its chiefs the door–and seldom does it swing back the other way.
The Old Blog in the Desert 
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