Grand Jury Urges Disbanding of Hanceville Police

An Alabama grand jury has recommended the immediate disbandment of the Hanceville Police Department due to a 'rampant culture of corruption' following the indictment of five officers, including the police chief, and the wife of one officer on multiple charges. This investigation was prompted by the death of Christopher Michael Willingham, a dispatcher found dead from a drug overdose in August 2024. The charges against the officers include drug-related offenses, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy to commit controlled substance crimes. District Attorney Champ Crocker highlighted the department’s negligence and lack of secure procedures, particularly in the evidence room, as contributing factors to Willingham’s death. The grand jury's findings portray the department as a threat to public safety, operating more like a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency. The Hanceville Police Department has not publicly commented on the indictments.