The deputy police chief of Braintree, Massachusetts, has been placed on paid administrative leave, following an evidence room scandal.
Deputy Chief Wayne Foster's attorney, David Hinds, confirmed to necn that Foster was served papers on Monday morning.
Hinds said the papers cited the results of a recent police audit.
In the audit, it was found that 4,709 pieces of narcotics evidence was missing, more than 60 guns were unaccounted for, and more than $400,000 in cash seized from criminals was also missing. As a result, a couple dozen drug cases have been thrown out.
necn asked Braintree Mayor Joseph Sullivan about the investigation, which now involves the Attorney General and Massachusetts State Police, and he had no comment.
When necn asked Sullivan about Foster's leave, he said he couldn't comment, saying it is a personnel matter.
Hinds said he did not know who would replace Foster in the interim but said Foster plans to challenge the decision.
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"We will challenge the deputy chief being placed on administrative leave," Hinds told necn. "There is no legal basis for doing that at all and what the mayor has decided to do is to overstep his bounds and to look for scape goats."
Just last week, Police Chief Russell Jenkins announced he would be retiring on Oct. 7.
