Polson police chief resigns after DUI charge
KRISTI NIEMEYER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 3 months AGO
Kristi Niemeyer learned her newspaper licks at the Mission Valley News and honed them at the helm of the Ronan Pioneer and, eventually, as co-editor of the Leader until 1993. She later launched and published Lively Times, a statewide arts and entertainment monthly (she still publishes the digital version), and produced and edited State of the Arts for the Montana Arts Council and Heart to Heart for St. Luke Community Healthcare. Reach her at [email protected] or 406-883-4343. | April 11, 2023 2:00 PM
Polson Police Chief Wade Nash stepped down from his role Tuesday and has announced that he will officially retire from the force May 2. The announcement came Tuesday morning, and followed the chief’s DUI arrest early Saturday morning.
Captain George Simpson has been named interim police chief.
According to news reports, Montana Highway Patrol was asked by the Polson Police Department to investigate a crash within the city limits at 4:08 a.m. Saturday.
According to the citation, Nash hit a parked vehicle in the 700 block of 12th St. E. in Polson. He was arrested on the scene, and refused a blood alcohol test. He will appear in Lake County Justice Court later this month.
Polson City Manager Ed Meece said he first heard about the incident Saturday afternoon.
“I had communication with some city staff that an incident had occurred,” he said Tuesday.
He’s “had conversations with the chief over the last couple of days” prior to their meeting Tuesday morning, when Nash announced his decision to step down.
According to Meece, Nash also said “he has had an unfortunate health situation arise in his family separate from Friday night’s incident and so will take sick leave from this point through May 2.”
Meece said it was unlikely the city will pursue any disciplinary action.
“As I understand it right now it was an off-duty incident and did not involve a city vehicle,” he said. “Having reviewed what’s available, there really isn’t a path for the city to go forward with any kind of disciplinary process.”
Nash was appointed police chief for the City of Polson in December 2011, and joined the force in 2007. He also served as interim city manager for two years before Meece was hired.
Since moving to Montana in 1997, Nash has also worked for the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and with the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force. He’s currently the president of the Montana Association of Chiefs of Police.
ARTICLES BY KRISTI NIEMEYER
Orchardists enjoy 'one of the best markets ever' for Flathead cherries
Cherry grower Brian Campbell couldn’t be happier with this year’s harvest, and what he describes as “probably one of the best markets we've seen” for the luscious red fruit grown on the shores of Flathead Lake.
St. Ignatius Police signs on to Simply Report anti-trafficking partnership
The St. Ignatius Police Department is the first agency in Lake County, and among the first in Montana, to sign on to a new initiative that aims to combat human trafficking.
Teamwork helps state continue to thwart aquatic invaders
“We gotta keep it protected,” said Quinn Erwin of Helena as he waited in line at the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) check station in Ravalli July 2. He was on his way to Flathead Lake with two jet skis in tow.