Detective Was Fired for Exposing Fellow Cop as Child Sex Predator: Attorney

A former detective for a North Carolina police department is alleging that he was silenced and fired for exposing a fellow officer as an online predator.

Brent Heavner claims that he conducted an internet sting operation, pretending to be a 14-year-old in order to catch sexual predators. Once the predators attempted to meet the imaginary teenager in person, Heavner would apprehend them. However, when he discovered that one of his own colleagues was involved and reported it to his superiors, no action was taken. Instead, Heavner was fired.

According to Heavner’s attorney, Michael Elliot, he trusted that the investigation would be handed over to the State Bureau of Investigations, WSOCTV reported. However, this did not happen. In fact, when Heavner found more evidence of the officer’s misconduct, he was silenced and eventually suspended and terminated.

The police department, on the other hand, asserts that Heavner was fired for violating policy. They claim that he revealed confidential information to individuals outside the department, as recorded in an audio recording. Heavner denies these allegations.

Furthermore, the department brought attention to an occasion where Heavner was supposedly caught lying, casting doubt on his current claims. However, Elliot argues that this is merely an attempt to undermine Heavner’s credibility and distract from the department’s decision to protect the offending officer.

According to Elliot’s statement, the actions of the Lincolnton Police Department are illegal, and their attempt to discredit Heavner’s credibility is a transparent effort to justify the termination of an officer who was fulfilling his duty.

Heavner, who served as a U.S. Marine and worked for the Lincolnton Police for 25 years, has dedicated almost three years to investigating online predators. Elliot states that his work has garnered recognition, and he has been involved in a federal task force and recognized as a “Champion of Children.” Heavner’s investigations have led to 50 arrests since 2015, the Lincoln Times-News reported. However, the credibility of some cases may be compromised if the court does not view Heavner as a credible witness.

Residents are expressing concerns over the internal conflict within the police department. Tony Clark emphasizes that police officers should be held to a higher standard and worries that charges against actual predators may be invalidated.

Lincolnton Police Department Lt. Jason Munday, who is running for sheriff of Lincoln County, continues to support Heavner and has selected him as his chief deputy in the event that he wins the election. Munday is confident that the truth will be revealed and that Heavner is innocent of any wrongdoing.

Additionally, the Lincolnton force recently faced criticism after posting on Facebook about a minor marijuana drug arrest. The department removed its rating system due to receiving numerous negative reviews but kept the original post untouched.

As for Heavner, the Chief of Police Rodney Jordan refrains from commenting further on the circumstances surrounding his termination, citing “personnel policy.”