Spring Lake Police Chief Dysoaneik Spellman was relieved of duty today, according to Interim Town Manager Jason Williams.
Williams cited personnel issues as the reason for the termination and said a town statement about the move would be released this week.
Spellman was named police chief after a two-month search in August 2022. He began in the Spring Lake Police Department in 2014 as a patrol officer and became interim police chief when former chief Troy McDuffie retired for a second time in 2021. Spellman began his career in 1999 at the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.
Spellman has an advanced law enforcement certificate through the N.C. Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission, CityView previously reported. He also holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice administration, an associate’s degree in applied science with a concentration in criminal justice technology and is a graduate of the N.C. Justice Academy Management Development Program.
The Fayetteville Observer previously reported that Spellman's salary was $80,325 in 2023 according to town records.
Williams told CityView that the department has around 20 full-time employees with “eight or nine” open positions. Patrol officers are being hired, Williams said, that he hoped would bring the full staff to 30 employees.
Two years ago, the department had 27 employees, including 25 police officers, with three open positions.
This is a developing story.
Jami McLaughlin can be reached at jmclaughlin@cityviewnc.com or 910-391-4870.
