Fired South Mississippi officer’s past conviction erased, but new charges emerge
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Moss Point officer Craig Chandler faces new misdemeanor charge for assault.
- Three judges recused; trial set for September under new Justice Court judge.
- Chandler plans appeals on firing and certification suspension amid new filing.
Former Moss Point Police K-9 Officer Craig Chandler is facing a new misdemeanor charge of domestic violence.
The charge is based on the same allegations from his previous arrest for domestic violence, for which his conviction was subsequently dismissed and expunged from his record.
City officials fired Chandler on August 11 after they found out about the case and video footage of the alleged incident surfaced.
Chandler’s attorney, Tyler Cox, said his client plans to appeal his termination as well as the suspension of his law enforcement certification by the Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training.
Chandler’s firing came in the aftermath of the city’s 5-2 vote to suspend Police Chief Brandon Ashley for five days without pay for failing to report the incident to city officials.
Ashley has since returned to work, but did not return calls from the Sun Herald to find out if he planned to appeal the suspension as well.
In the new complaint, Chandler’s estranged wife, Amber Chandler, again accuses the former officer of “kicking her, yelling and cussing,” in an alleged Dec. 23, 2024, domestic violence assault at the home they shared at the time.
In addition, the affidavit said, “Craig went to the closet and grabbed his gun. He held the gun up and told Amber (Chandler) he was going to put a bullet in the dog.”
As a result of the alleged assault, Amber Chandler said she had injuries. She also accused the officer of punching several holes in a wall in a closet at the home.
In the original complaint filed with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Amber Chandler said the assault happened after the pair got into an argument. Initially, she told authorities that she didn’t want to pursue charges. A month later, she changed her mind.
Since the new charge has been filed, three Jackson County Justice Court judges have recused themselves from hearing the case. Justice Court Judge Jason Thornton is now set to preside over the trial in September.
Attorney Cox said, “I look forward to trying the case and proving my client’s innocence.”
The Sun Herald reached out to Amber Chandler’s attorney, Charles Bordis, for comment, but did not hear back.
Since Chandler’s firing, his attorney has also asked a judge to find Amber Chandler in contempt in the divorce case for allegedly sharing video footage of the alleged assault on her TikTok account. However, she deleted the post about two hours later. In addition, Cox said he believes Chandler shared the same video with someone on social media who shared the footage on social media just prior to the officer’s firing.
Amber Chandler filed court papers accusing Craig Chandler of contempt for not adhering to specific requirements in his pending divorce case.
A judge has not ruled on either request. Instead, a trial is set next year.
Officer’s initial conviction expunged
After Chandler pleaded no contest to the offense and a judge convicted him, his attorney appealed in Jackson County Court.
Judge Mark Watts subsequently dismissed the conviction and expunged Chandler’s record under an agreement with Prosecutor Lee Farragut, noting there had been “no trial testimony.”
Farragut later asked the court to reinstate the case for trial, but Watts denied the request. He said he made that ruling based on the rules of the court.
But in his final order in August, Watts said he had since learned about Chandler’s pending divorce in Chancery Court, where his estranged wife is pursuing a divorce based on “habitual cruel and inhuman treatment” that mirrors the domestic violence allegations.
Watts ruled that related matters should be handled in Chancery Court, but left the door open for Amber Chandler to refile her criminal complaint in Justice Court since the case was dismissed without prejudice.
Another firing amid criminal wrongdoing
The city’s decision to fire one of its police officers amid allegations of criminal wrongdoing is not a first for the city.
In March 2022, the city fired former Moss Point Police Officer Eric Eugene Maye after he was accused of embezzling property from an offender in a drug case. Maye has since been convicted of the offense.
Ashley recommended Maye’s firing after an internal investigation.
However, Ashley was also the one who went to bat for Maye to get his police certification reinstated after the BLEOST terminated his law enforcement credentials due to the theft in Gautier. The certificate is required to serve in law enforcement in Mississippi. By then, Maye was working as a patrolman in Moss Point — his second stint serving as a police officer in the River City.
That was in 2019, when Maye went before the state BLEOST and unsuccessfully pleaded for his police credentials to remain intact. He had lost his certification after Gautier officials informed the board of his illegal activity in their city.
The police chief went before the same state BLEOST on Maye’s behalf, telling the board “that he (Maye) has been a model employee at Moss Point.”
Still, Maye lost his credentials at that time and resigned.
However, Maye ultimately regained his credentials in November 2021, when Chief Ashley again appeared before the state BLEOST on Maye’s behalf to request his recertification to serve in law enforcement. The state allows candidates to reapply for law enforcement certification two years after cancellation.
At the time, Maye claimed his past problems were behind him, and Ashley wanted to give him a second chance at a law enforcement career.
Chief Ashley informed the BLEOST that Maye had since joined the military, married, and started a family in the years following his loss of the license to serve as a police officer.
Before Maye was fired in 2022, Chief Ashley issued a statement that said Maye’s alleged criminal acts in the Jackson County case would not be tolerated.
Ashley recommended Maye’s firing after an internal investigation into the new allegation of embezzlement.
Ashley also issued a statement denouncing that officer’s conduct.
“There is no room in this Police Department for dishonesty,” Ashley said. “We hire officers with the belief that they can be trusted with not only sensitive information, but also property and other items that come into their possession by virtue of their office. “These men and women are held to a higher standard, and they know they are accountable for their actions. Unfortunately, there is occasionally an officer who violates their own oath of office. When these officers are identified, they will be quickly removed from their position of trust.”
