GUNNISON, Utah — The former chief of the Gunnison Valley Police Department in central Utah has been charged with drug possession and official misconduct.
Court documents obtained by FOX 13 News accuse Seth Hendrickson of having a backpack with prescription drugs, along with syringes and needles that tested positive for illicit drugs.
The documents also show that Hendrickson tested positive for heroin.
An investigation in the former chief began when Gunnison Valley police officers found drugs missing from department storage.
Hendrickson was the department’s chief until he resigned in July.
The most serious charges against the former chief carry up to a year in jail.
Hendrickson did not immediately return messages seeking comment, but he has been issued a summons to appear in a Sanpete County courtroom later this month
Hendrickson is the second Gunnison Valley police chief in four years to leave the job.
According to records from Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training, in 2020, then-Gunnison Valley Police Chief Brett McCall “self reported” that he drank alcohol while attending a firearms training at the state prison in Gunnison.
McCall relinquished his peace officer certification. That ended any further investigation by Utah’s police regulators. He also retired from Gunnison Valley.
Between McCall’s departure and Hendrickson’s hiring, former state Rep. Carl Wimmer, who had been a detective at Gunnison Valley, applied for the chief’s job. When he didn’t get it, he alleged discrimination.
The Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division later said Gunnison Valley discriminated against Wimmer’s religion and age. The police force paid Wimmer $80,000 in a settlement.
