A letter sent last month from the town of Hope Mills to former Police Maj. Bradley Rountree informed Rountree that he was terminated for allegedly removing items from evidence, according to a copy of the Notice of Termination provided Friday to The Fayetteville Observer.
Rountree, who was second in command at the Hope Mills Police Department, was placed on paid administrative leave following “an incident that occurred on Town property on December 12, 2023,” a town official said at the time. The town declined to elaborate.
The Notice of Termination, provided to the Observer on Friday in response to a public records request, is addressed to Rountree from Town Manager Chancer McLaughlin.
Before stating the reason for the firing, McLaughlin notes the date of Rountree’s suspension and that the police major declined to attend a pre-disciplinary conference on Jan. 3.
“During the period of your administrative leave, evidence has come to light indicating that you improperly removed evidence from the evidence locker in the police department,” the letter said in part. “Based on the information which has been presented to me, I have no choice but to terminate your employment with the Town of Hope Mills, effective as of today, January 4, 2024.”