Deputy police chief placed on leave

Havelock’s deputy police chief remains on unpaid leave this week as city officials continue an internal investigation.

Timothy Knipp, deputy chief of the Havelock Police Department, was given a leave of absence Sept. 17, City Manager Jim Freeman said last week.

“I can confirm that he has been put on non-disciplinary administrative leave without pay pending results of a preliminary investigation,” he said.

Freeman would not discuss the reason for Knipp’s leave and said its duration would depend on how quickly the investigation is completed. He would not say exactly what was being investigated.

G. Wayne Cyrus, Havelock police chief, said the decision was based on a personnel issue and declined to comment further.

A phone message for Knipp at his home was not returned in time for this story.

Knipp was hired as captain of the Havelock Police Department on June 13, 2005, Freeman said. He was appointed deputy police chief on March 6, 2006, as the department restructured its chain of command.

Knipp’s annual salary is $56,152, Freeman said Monday.

He is a former U.S. Marine and worked as a police officer in Jacksonville and a master state trooper for the N.C. Highway Patrol.

He lives in Havelock with his wife and three children.