Garry Chapman Reinstated To Police Force After Being Fired

“Today, God showed up,” wrote Duane Chapman, aka “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” after his son, Garry Chapman, 24, was reinstated as an officer in the Priceville Police Department.

This decision was made by the Priceville City Council in Priceville, Alabama, which met in an executive session on October 13. Two weeks earlier, on September 30, Garry Chapman had been fired from the Priceville Police Department for his reported involvement in a high-speed chase which resulted in the death of an innocent teenager.

While in pursuit of an alleged intoxicated driver, Garry reportedly crossed out of the Priceville jurisdiction into neighboring Hartselle, Alabama, on September 6. There, the suspect he was pursuing allegedly went through an intersection and collided with a minivan, injuring five people on board.

One of the individuals in the minivan, 17-year-old Tristan Hollis, died.

The City Council’s Decision

Represented by Scott Morro, Garry appealed his termination from the Priceville Police Department, citing wrongful termination in a lawsuit against the city of Priceville.

Speaking with FOX 54 on September 30, Morro stated, “The Supreme Court allows pursuit as long as you’re assessing danger throughout the pursuit, and it’s unfortunate that it turned out the way it did, but Garry followed the law, and he followed the policy.”

Continuing, Morro said, “We hope that the City Council, after the hearing, will see it our way and recognize that Chapman is an asset to their city and not a detriment, and so hopefully he’ll be reinstated.”

According to FOX 54, the City Council’s executive session on October 13 lasted over three hours, and deliberation resulted in the reinstating of Garry, who will return to the police department with a 10-day unpaid suspension.

Further, Garry will need to go through retraining while on work probation.

This decision was made despite some individuals from the public speaking out against the reinstating of Garry. Among those in opposition was resident Mike Silver, who AL.com reports was close to Tristan Hollis.

Silver said, “I don’t think Mr. Chapman considered the potential loss of life that didn’t just possibly occur, it did occur.”

Dog The Bounty Hunter Expresses His Thanks

Present for the Priceville City Council’s executive session on October 13 was Garry’s dad, Duane “Dog” Chapman, who came to fame with the A&E reality series Dog the Bounty Hunter.

Addressing the City Council after its decision to reinstate Garry, Duane said, “Garry is my youngest son of 13 children, and he always wanted to be a police officer all of his life.”

Back in April, Garry was featured as the April Officer Spotlight in the Priceville Police Department, with Garry saying it was his father who was the reason he pursued a career in law enforcement, adding, “Watching how he treated others and carried himself with integrity made a huge impact on me. I knew I wanted to follow a path where I could make that same kind of difference. Law enforcement became that path for me.”

Acknowledging the death of Tristan Hollis as a “tragedy,” Duane commended the City Council for its decision to reinstate Garry, saying, “I’m known as a second chance guy.”

Frequently on the show Dog the Bounty Hunter, Dog would take in an individual with a bounty and pray with them and give them advice before taking them into the custody of law enforcement.

Notably, Duane concluded his remarks to the City Council by saying that he would gladly “stick up” for any City Council member seeking reelection.

Watch Duane “Dog” Chapman’s comments to the Priceville City Council, here:

Following the decision by the City Council, Duane shared a moving post on Instagram, writing, “After many prayers, my son Gary has officially been reinstated as an officer — cleared of any wrongdoing in the tragic pursuit that claimed the life of a young man. From the beginning, Gary acted with honor, courage, and integrity while doing his job to protect and serve.”

Speaking on the suspect in that high-speed chase, a 40-year-old named Archie Hale, who is presently held on a $296,000 bond, Duane added, “The real tragedy came from a suspect who chose to flee — and whose reckless actions caused a heartbreaking loss that will never be forgotten.”

Concluding his post, Duane wrote, “Today reminds us that truth always comes to light, that God never leaves His children, and that faith will carry you through even the darkest storms.”

See the full post, here: