Walton undersheriff Chapman demoted to major after son's arrest, release (LETTER)

Walton County Undersheriff Bill Chapman has been demoted to major.

The demotion was the result of Chapman’s failure to notify Sheriff Mike Adkinson that Chapman’s son, Greg, was being released from jail following a late-night first appearance hearing.

“He went around me,” Adkinson said.

Read a letter of apology written by Chapman. »

Greg Chapman was arrested Sept. 1 on a misdemeanor battery warrant. His girlfriend had accused him of hitting her in the face.

Bill Chapman apparently arranged for Walton County Circuit Court Judge Kelvin Wells to hold a first appearance hearing at 11 p.m. at the jail to set a bond for his son.

Bringing a judge in after work hours to set a bond is rare but not unheard of, Adkinson said Thursday morning, not long after he was informed of the younger Chapman’s release.

The decision to allow Chapman to make an early bond without telling the sheriff reflected badly on the Sheriff’s Office, Adkinson said.

“When you go around the boss and do things, it affects the accountability of the agency and there’s a penalty associated with that,” he said. “People have to know that everybody is going to be treated the same. We have to be accountable. We have to be professional.”

Bill Chapman, a 30-year law enforcement veteran, will begin his new job overseeing the support division after he serves a one-week unpaid suspension, Adkinson said.

The demotion will reduce the number of employees working under Chapman by about a third, the sheriff said. His salary will be cut to match his new position. Adkinson added.

Chapman said he asked Wells to set a bond early because Greg Chapman is a former law enforcement officer. He would have had to be held in solitary confinement for his protection, Adkinson said.

Chapman wrote a letter to fellow Sheriff’s Office employees apologizing for his efforts.

“I should (have) realized that my request for a bond on my son would have caused the uproar that has taken place,” it said. “I allowed a personal/family issue to interfere in my judgment and my actions (caused) consternation among the staff and the public. I apologize to you for my actions.”