Police chief suspended.

By Allison Scarbrough. OCP Editor.

SHELBY — Shelby Police Chief Robert Wilson has been suspended from his job without pay pending an internal investigation, according to Village Administrator Chelsea Stratil.

Police Officer Terry TenBrink has been named “acting chief” in the meantime, Stratil said.

“Until the investigation concludes, there is no further comment,” Stratil said.

OCP has been informed by anonymous sources that the matter is a criminal case involving fraudulent salvage vehicle inspections. The Hart post of the Michigan State Police would not comment on the case.

The decision to suspend Wilson was made by the village administrator, and the village council unanimously agreed, said Village President Paul Inglis. “She contacted each council member individually, and they agreed,” Inglis said.

Wilson was forced to resign as chief in 2007 but was then re-hired by a different village council about two years later. Tim French was hired as police chief in October of 2007 and resigned in December of 2008.

The police department also includes Sgt. Roger “Chuck” Schultz, part-time Officer Ralph Briese and a few other part-time officers that fill in as needed, Inglis said. Schultz was shot in the leg and grazed on the chest Sept. 5, 2007 behind the former Plan B Bar & Grille, and the crime has never been solved.

Inglis said Wilson had been the chief “for a long time” prior to the controversy that erupted eight years ago.

When asked if the investigation involved fraudulent salvage vehicle inspections, Inglis replied, “I cannot respond to that.”

“It’s a difficult time for the council, the administrator and the chief during the holidays,” Inglis said. “It is not something any of us take lightly. It’s a very sensitive issue.”

Wilson, whose yearly salary is $48,000, will continue to receive benefits during his suspension, Inglis said.

Village officials are not releasing any further information at this time. A call to Wilson was not returned.