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In a surprising turn of events, the police force of a small Georgia town has been reinstated after a dramatic dismissal by the mayor. The decision to bring back the officers came on Friday, following a significant backlash from the community and decisive intervention by the town council.
During an urgent meeting, the Cohutta Town Council unanimously agreed to reinstate the officers immediately and ensure they receive back pay, as confirmed by the town’s vice mayor to The Associated Press. This swift action underscores the importance of the police department to the town’s roughly 1,000 residents.
In a bid to prevent further abrupt decisions, the council introduced a temporary measure that restricts Mayor Ron Shinnick from firing the officers for the next 30 days. However, other items on the agenda, such as a proposal to potentially remove Mayor Shinnick, were postponed for future discussion.
This move comes after Mayor Shinnick’s unexpected decision on Wednesday to disband the Cohutta Police Department, leaving the community without its ten-member police force. The drastic measure raised concerns and led to widespread criticism within the town.
Interestingly, this development follows what was reportedly a successful resolution of issues between the officers and the mayor through open dialogue and mediation just a week prior. This unexpected firing, therefore, came as a shock, adding to the tension and urgency of the council’s response.
The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies would assist the town, which is located just south of the Tennessee line and about 100 miles northwest of Atlanta.
A sign posted on the department’s door earlier this week read, “The PD has been dissolved, and all personnel have been terminated.”
While the exact reasons for the firings have not been publicly disclosed, the shutdown appears tied to a dispute last month after officers filed formal complaints against former town clerk Pam Shinnick, the mayor’s wife.
Mayor Ron Shinnick speaks at Cohutta Town Hall in Cohutta, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Matt Hamilton/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP)
Pam Shinnick was fired from her position for allegedly creating a “hostile work environment.” Officers alleged in their complaints that she continued working and had access to residents’ personal information despite her termination.
Following the complaints, Shinnick, Police Chief Greg Fowler and town attorney Bryan Rayburn said during a press conference that the situation had been resolved through “open dialogue and good-faith mediation.”
But just one week later, the entire department was dissolved.
Mayor Ron Shinnick, left, shakes hands with members of the Cohutta Police Department at Cohutta Town Hall in Cohutta, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Matt Hamilton/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP)
“This all comes to personal vendetta from the mayor, and I wholeheartedly believe that,” former Sgt. Jeremy May told WRCB-TV. “We took a stand for transparency, and in result, every one of them has lost their jobs.”
According to Vice Mayor Shane Kornberg, the town’s attorney told the council the firings did not follow the town charter, which requires 30 days’ notice before employees can be removed or suspended.
Kornberg said the council went into executive session to discuss potential litigation and emerged without the mayor, who did not return to the meeting. The council then voted to reinstate the police force.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.
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