Navassa police chief arrested

Navassa’s chief was stopped over the weekend, allegedly driving drunk.

Chief Ricky Thorpe was pulled over by a Highway Patrol officer early Saturday morning.

According to the citation, his blood alcohol level was a .27 which is more than 3 times the legal limit.

His citation states that he was driving in a police vehicle, left of the center line on Highway 1432.

This isn’t Thorpe’s first run in with the law. A few years ago, he was investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation for allegedly embezzling money and taking bribes from a towing company.

Brunswick County District Attorney Rex Gore says there was no conviction. The issue was resolved through police ethics training.

Navassa town mayor Eulis Willis said, “They have a stressful position as it is, anytime something happens to them that is not to our liking, we feel bad for them.”

Mayor Willis also said Thorpe had been working extra hours to help the police department after an officer left about a month ago.

Mayor Willis and Navassa town council members met this afternoon to talk about what will happen next for Chief Thorpe. At time of publication, that meeting was still going on.