Former Benton Police Chief Reacts to Firing

Former Benton Police Chief John Chambers talked to News 4 Arkansas` Mike Hellgren on the News at 10 Wednesday night. "The mayor called me into his office and said, `I have two pieces of paper for you. One is a resignation and the other is a termination,`" says Chambers. Chambers says he then asked the mayor if he could think about it, and the mayor said no. "I said, `I`d like to contact my attorney.` He said, `No.` I said, `What did I do wrong?` He wouldn`t answer me," says Chambers. Chambers took the helm of Benton`s police department in January 2003, after veteran chief C.R. Watters left. Watters claims the mayor asked for his resignation, too. At the time, Mayor Holland told us, "As far as my position, I think it`s time for the city of Benton to move on." The mayor can fire the police chief without cause, but the city council can reinstate him with a 2/3 vote. Chambers says he plans to ask the council to do just that. "We`re not going to lay down," Chambers told Hellgren. Chambers has contacted a lawyer, and he says he`ll have more to say about the case on Thursday. Chambers built his career in law inforcement, including several decades with the Arkansas State Police.