POLICE CHIEF: 'I WANT MY NAME CLEARED'

Greenville Police Chief Willie Johnson said Thursday he has asked the
city's Civil Service Commission to investigate whether it was appropriate
for him to testify as a character witness for a confessed drug trafficker.
The defendant, who was charged by Johnson's department, was sentenced to
three years home imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to trafficking
cocaine, his second trafficking conviction, according to court documents.

Johnson said Thursday that he wants an independent review of his actions to
clear him of any appearance of wrongdoing.

"I want my name cleared," Johnson said. "I have spent 34 years on that
department and every decision I have made has been, in my opinion, a
decision good for the department and the personnel there."

The commission is comprised of five community members appointed by the City
Council. It decides personnel matters for the police and fire departments
and rules on citizen complaints, Chairman Jim Bannister said.

Bannister said it will look into the matter and can make a recommendation
to dismiss the investigation as unfounded or can recommend the chief's
termination or anything in between.

Greenville City Manager Jim Bourey said only the City Council can terminate
the chief of police.

"They can make a recommendation and the City Council will evaluate that,"
Bourey said. "It's a prerogative of the City Council to take any action
against the chief."

Johnson said he made a formal request to Bannister in the past week because
he has received many questions from the community about his appearance in
court since The Greenville News first reported his testimony this month.

"To clear this matter up and to afford myself due process, I have asked the
Civil Service Commission to investigate it," Johnson said. "That's all I
can tell you. I don't think it would be proper for me to say anything
further than I've asked them to investigate the entire matter. I just think
it needs to be cleared up."

Johnson's request comes after Bourey said the issue was resolved without
any action against the chief. Bourey said earlier this month that he spoke
to Johnson after he received a number of complaints about it, including
from at least one council member.

"I don't think it will happen again," Bourey said then.

On Thursday, Bourey said Johnson's request was a good idea and he supports it.

"There seems to be a number of people raising issues, and I think this is
his idea to bring closure to any issues that anybody may have on this,"
Bourey said.

Johnson said in earlier statements that he appeared in court because he
felt the individual, whom he has known for some time, had stayed clean in
the three years since his arrest and deserved a second chance. The 13th
Circuit Solicitor's Office had recommended to Circuit Judge Ned Miller that
the defendant be sentenced to three years in prison.

Johnson said, "I don't know if I need to prove anything other than it has
been called into question whether my being at the plea bargain and making
comments was something I should have been doing. I want somebody else to
look at this."

Bannister said the meetings will be done in executive session. He declined
to discuss the process, other than to say the matter will be discussed
during the next couple of meetings.

The Civil Service Commission is the same body that recommended the chief as
the most qualified candidate five years ago. Bannister said he is the only
remaining member of that board who selected Johnson.

Staff Writer Andy Paras covers crime and courts.