MS law enforcement board imposes final suspension for former Coast officer
The Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Standards and Training has suspended the certification of a former Moss Point police K-9 officer convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence against his then-estranged wife.
Sean Tindell, commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, confirmed the board voted in May to suspend former Moss Point Police K-9 Officer Craig Chandler’s certification to serve in law enforcement for 10 years.
After the period of suspension, Tindell said, Chandler could apply for certification again, but the board ultimately would decide whether to reinstate his license to work in law enforcement if an agency wanted to hire him.
Chandler’s final suspension came in the aftermath of his latest conviction in February in Jackson County Court following another appeal in the case.
Twice convicted after appeals
Chandler’s case has been in and out of court for the same misdemeanor offense.
The first time Chandler went to court for the offense in Jackson County Justice Court, he pleaded no contest to the offense and was adjudicated guilty.
Chandler then appealed the case to Jackson County Court. Judge Mark Watts dismissed the conviction that time around and expunged it from Chandler’s record based on what he called an agreement between attorneys.
Chandler’s then-estranged wife, Amber Chandler, was the victim in the case and said she was not told about the deal that first resulted in Chandler’s record being wiped clean.
As a result, Watts issued a new order that paved the way for Amber Chandler to file new charges against Chandler based on the same offense. In the second trial in County Court, Watts convicted Chandler of the offense.
In August 2025, Moss Point city officials fired Chandler after they found out about the case and video footage of an alleged domestic assault involving Chandler leaked on social media.
Chandler’s estranged wife, Amber Chandler, said the former officer was “kicking her, yelling and cussing,” in the Dec. 23, 2024, domestic assault at the home they once shared.
The domestic assault
During trial testimony in May, Amber Chandler said her estranged husband got enraged after the family dog bit him.
Afterward, she said Craig Chandler started screaming, kicking, and punching holes in the wall before threatening to shoot and kill the pet Labradoodle.
Amber Chandler testified that she was grabbing the dog’s kennel when Chandler started picking it up and slamming it down to the ground, resulting in scratches to her arms and other bruising when the cage slammed down on her feet at one point.
At one point during the assault, Amber Chandler said the former officer went to a closet, grabbed his gun and told her he was going to “put a bullet in the dog.”
Chandler’s young daughter was at the home at the time, and Amber Chandler said she feared for all of their safety.
She said she was so afraid that she walked sideways down a hall leading to the door to get out, with her estranged husband following behind her with the gun in his hand.
She said she was afraid he was going to kill her.
Craig Chandler testified at his trial in February. He said he got angry after the dog bite but denied ever grabbing a gun or physically assaulting his estranged wife. He acknowledged losing his temper and using profanity.
Craig Chandler is now appealing his latest conviction in Circuit Court.
The former couple’s divorce was finalized in February.
Where to get help
To get help for domestic violence on the Mississippi Coast, reach out to the Gulf Coast Center for Non-violence:
- 24/7 Crisis Line: 800-800-1396
- Harrison County: 228-435-1968
- Jackson County (Adrienne’s House): 228-762-8267
- Hancock County: 228-252-1999
