RBS Police Chief Terminated

By Jessie Williams

After 24 years on the job, Red Boiling Springs Chief of Police Terry Tuck has been terminated.

During the RBS City Council’s regular meeting held on July 13, 2017, RBS Mayor Tom Fultz made the following statement shortly after calling roll and approving the previous meeting minutes. 

“As you are all aware, sometimes I jump through the agenda, and what I am going to do is call an executive meeting to discuss allegations against one of our officers and to seek legal advice. So, if the audience would hang on just a minute, we will be right back.”

Mayor Fultz, all six city council members, Deputy City Clerk Tessa Davis and City Attorney Christi Dalton then exited the room at 7:05 p.m., returning 39 minutes later.

Upon their return, Mayor Fultz continued with the agenda as it was written and then addressed the situation once they reached the subject of the Police Department on the agenda.

Council member George McCrary made the following motion – “On the advice of council and following the directives of the city charter, I move to call for a vote on the termination of Chief of Police Terry Tuck.”

The motion was seconded by Joel Coe.

Voting aye were council members Joel Coe, Joe Hill, Joseph Reardon, Lee Butram and George McCrary. Council member Cynthia Smalling elected to abstain from voting. 

Under ‘Any Other Business,’ council members then voted to install video and audio cameras in every room in city hall, except for the restrooms. This includes the front porch and back porch with footage to be reviewed every three months.

The cost of the equipment was not mentioned. Council members McCrary and Reardon voted against the motion, which ultimately passed with a vote of 4-2.

Tuck was at City Hall during the meeting, but was not in the council chambers where the meeting took place. He was not in uniform.

According to the city charter, he has the option to request a hearing on the proposed action. If he so chooses, the mayor shall promptly set a date and time for the hearing before the council. The decision of the board of mayor and council shall then be final.

No mention has been made of who will take over as the city’s new chief of police following Tuck’s untimely departure. 

The Macon County Chronicle has requested Tuck’s personnel file and any and all reports and/or documents that includes information regarding the details of his termination from the city mayor and city attorney. They have seven business days to respond to our requests according to Tennessee’s open records law. 

As of press time, the city attorney has only stated that Tuck was terminated for ‘misconduct.’