A city police lieutenant alleged Tuesday morning that police Chief William Anderson and a high-ranking captain tried to coerce him into making “false and misleading” statements regarding a car accident involving the chief’s son.
The public allegations, however, will not result in an SBI investigation into the chief’s actions, District Attorney Ron Moore said. Lt. William Wilke met with the SBI and FBI on Tuesday night, Moore said, and told investigators he did not have anything to add to statements he made to the SBI earlier this year.
“Based on the two statements given several months ago and there being nothing new to add, there is no new investigation to be had.”
Wilke, a 13-year veteran of the APD, held a press conference Tuesday morning at the office of his lawyer, George Hyler, and read a two-page statement about the events of March 9 and the following days.
Wilke said the chief and Capt. Stony Gonce attempted to have him “submit to a set of facts and circumstances regarding the accident involving (the chief’s) son that were clearly false and misleading.” Wilke was the scene commander the night of the wreck.
Also, Wilke alleged City Manager Gary Jackson and Deputy City Manager Jeff Richardson declined to act when Wilke raised his concerns about “false and misleading information” the police chief gave the Citizen-Times about the incident.
Bill Wilkie is an honorable, principled man who has no reason other to uphold his oath of office to make false accusations about the chief and his captain. This incident hasn’t passed the smell test since it happened. The Citizen Times interviewed two eye witnesses to the accident who stated to the police and to the paper that they only saw Chad Anderson leaving the car and the scene. Meanwhile the police report refuted these witnesses, stating there was a missing driver Mr. Anderson called “Dainty” but didn’t know anything more about him. His father, the chief, backed his son, who, by the way disappeared that night and was not seen until the next morning. If the citizens of Asheville care anything about their own safety and the integrity of the police department, they need to rally to the side of Lt. Wilkie and demand the resignation or firing of this corrupted police chief.