FIRST ON 3: Two officers suspended; Leland PD asks SBI to probe missing evidence

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — Leland police have asked the State Bureau of Investigation to look into one of their own.

The SBI says agents are now investigating an issue involving missing evidence. But that’s not the only issue within the department.

Town Manager David Hollis says two officers involved in two separate investigations are each suspended without pay pending the outcome.

Det. Davis Patrick McGowan is suspended pending the outcome of an internal investigation regarding missing evidence. Hollis would not say how the department learned of the issue with evidence, but he did say they had asked the SBI to investigate the issue farther.

“If we came to a point where we couldn’t determine what the incident result was, you know how it occurred, or there is no conclusion, that’s when we would ask for assistance,” Hollis said.

According to his Linked In page, McGowan has been with the department for seven years and was previously a Brunswick County Sheriff’s deputy.

Also suspended without pay is Ryan O’Connor. You may recall he was cited for DWI in Pender County last fall. Hollis says this is a totally separate investigation and would not give us any more details citing the investigation.