Tensions flare in Henderson council meeting ahead of police chief deadline

A disagreement between Henderson City Council members Tuesday temporarily halted a meeting that was attended by more than two dozen supporters of embattled police chief Hollie Chadwick.

After Councilwoman Carrie Cox spoke for several minutes, saying, in part, that she’s committed to “the public’s right to know,” Councilwoman Monica Larson accused Cox of engaging in “theatrics.”

As the two councilwomen began to speak over each other, Mayor Michelle Romero called for a recess. Romero was then heard telling Cox to “have some decorum.”

The exchange came less than 48 hours away from a Thursday deadline that City Manager Stephanie Garcia-Vause has put in place for Chadwick’s leave of absence to end. Sources have told the Review-Journal Chadwick will need to either quit or be fired from her job.

City leaders still weren’t talking about why Chadwick was placed on leave late last month, and instead have been calling the matter a “personnel” decision that can’t be made public yet. Cox has publicly questioned the city’s decision to sideline Chadwick.

Chadwick supporters criticize City Council

The council took no action relating to the police chief saga Tuesday, but Chadwick supporters again — just like they did on Feb. 18 — showed up in full force. Some wore “I support Chief Chadwick” T-shirts.

During a public comment portion of the meeting, retired Henderson police officer Cindy Hubert criticized the council, saying it has been playing “dirty games” with the police department for several years.

“The department backs its chief,” Hubert said.

Former Henderson police Sgt. Chad Atkin addressed the council and called the handing of the Chadwick situation “embarrassing.”

A member of the Henderson department since 2002, Chadwick was named chief in 2023. Despite her support from many in the Henderson law enforcement community, her time leading the department hasn’t been without controversy.

Months into Chadwick’s tenure as chief, the department found itself under increased scrutiny after a detective was accused of hurling a racial slur and urging the killing of Mexicans and Black Lives Matter protesters.

Detective Kevin LaPeer, an internal investigation found, broke the department’s rules on a number of occasions, though Chadwick eventually cleared his disciplinary record. LaPeer denied the accusations.

When interviewed after Tuesday’s meeting, Romero declined to offer additional insight into Chadwick’s job status — a city spokesperson said she’s still an employee — and instead said that waiting until the Thursday deadline is “respectful” to Chadwick.

“It’s also what the law requires,” Romero said. “We’re very careful about what we say, but after that, we’ll try to be as transparent as we possibly can. When a plan is in place, and when it’s appropriate, the public will be aware.”

‘We have to make sure we’re being transparent’

When asked, Cox said she still has an issue with the way the Chadwick situation has played out.

“I do, yes,” Cox said. “I’m for the public’s right to know. We are elected officials representing our constituents. We are their voice. We have to make sure we’re being transparent.”

In a recent interview with the Review-Journal, Larson said she believes information about Chadwick being placed on leave was leaked to the media.

Last week, Romero, Larson and councilmen Jim Seebock and Dan Stewart released a joint statement, which said, in part, that “the fact that private personnel information was recently leaked to the media was unfortunate, and embarrassing for those involved.”

What those council members described as a leak constituted “unacceptable behavior” and “does not represent our collective body,” the statement said.

If Chadwick, who is being represented by Las Vegas attorney Paul Padda, is fired — or if she resigns — Henderson will need to begin the search for its ninth chief since 2005.

Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.