Hoonah’s police chief submitted his resignation after less than two years in the role. Then, the city fired him. He says it was retaliation.
The City of Hoonah’s chief of police, Carlos Frias, submitted his resignation on Friday after he was placed on administrative leave. On Monday, he was informed that the city had declined it and terminated his employment.
Frias said he was placed on leave because of an excessive use of force complaint. He argues the investigation was one-sided and aimed at removing him.
He alleges he was pushed out of his role because he began investigating complaints of misconduct against some city leaders. City leaders deny the allegations and say he was fired for a series of violations, including excessive use of force.
In an interview Friday, Frias said he did not want to leave the role — but he said city officials told him he could resign or be fired.
“A lot of it was just constant retaliation from the city, but the biggest thing was that they were already planning on firing me anyway,” he said.
Frias began his tenure as chief in the fall of 2023. He and his family moved to Hoonah from Tucson, Arizona, where he also worked in law enforcement. Hoonah is a small fishing community on the northeastern side of Chichagof Island, west of Juneau.
Frias said he was investigating alleged domestic violence and sexual assault complaints made against some city leaders, along with other misconduct.
“As I was gathering more information on stuff that was going on within the city, and I went to question the city, that’s when everything just kind of went south,” he said. “I was told, ‘Hey, you’re not supposed to investigate that.’”
Hoonah’s City Attorney Jim Sheehan denied the allegations.
“If he’s alleging that his termination was a result of retaliation by the city or any official employer at the city, that’s a false statement,” he said in an interview Monday.
Sheehan confirmed that Frias was placed on administrative leave on May 13th before he submitted his resignation, but declined to give a reason why on Monday afternoon. Later that day, city officials informed Frias he was fired for misconduct.
Frias said he worries about the public’s safety and residents’ ability to report concerns or problems without fear of retaliation.
“I did my homework here, I put in the work so that people can actually trust me here,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that I have to leave, because certain circumstances are getting me out of here.”
The interim chief is Benjamin Botts, formerly with the Ketchikan Police Department. Sheehan said the city hasn’t begun searching for a new permanent replacement for the chief, but he expects to see that happen in the coming days.
Frias can choose to appeal the decision to terminate him. He said he plans to leave Hoonah as soon as he can.
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