Under a cloud of public questioning, Gillette Police Chief Chuck Deaton abruptly retired from the department on Thursday.
The retirement was announced in a statement put out by the city of Gillette on Thursday afternoon about two hours after Cowboy State Daily inquired about Deaton’s status with the Gillette Police Department.
“After serving nearly 35 years in the Gillette Police Department, including as the Gillette Police Department Chief of Police since 2021, I have decided to retire,” Deaton said in the city statement.
“The time has come to let others guide the Department and for me to move on to the next phase of my life,” Deaton said. “I am proud of what the Gillette Police Department has accomplished due to the men and women that serve this community.”
Cowboy State Daily reached out to Gillette Mayor Shay Lundvall, all seven City Council members and City Administrator Mike Cole earlier Thursday morning — and prior to the retirement announcement — after being contacted by local residents inquiring about rumors regarding Deaton’s status as chief.
At about 11:30 a.m. when asked directly if Deaton was still Gillette’s police chief, Cole responded, “I can’t really comment on personnel matters.”
When pressed that the question was only whether he was still the chief or not, Cole said, “He is still the chief.”
Deputy Chief Brent Wasson has been named interim chief of the department, the city says in its statement.
“Wasson has 29 years of experience with the GPD,” the statement says. “He has served as the deputy chief since 2021 ... (and) has been instrumental in leading GPD’s continued national accreditation efforts.”
He’ll serve as interim chief until a permanent replacement is hired.
The Trail
When he took over as chief in 2021 from former Chief Jim Hloucal, Deaton told the Gillette News Record at the time that he had committed to serving as chief for “at least five years,” which was five years ago.
A 1984 Campbell County High School graduate, Deaton was with the GPD for nearly 35 years. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 2010, the News-Record reported.
A phone message to Mayor Lundvall on Thursday morning asking about the status of Deaton was returned by a City Hall staffer who said the city is “not divulging that information” because it falls under “personnel privilege.”
Reassured that this reporter was only asking whether Deaton was still chief, and not for any other privileged information, the response was the same.
When then asked if that response was at the direction of the mayor, the staffer begrudgingly said yes.
After talking to the city staffer, a call was placed to the general number for the Gillette Police Department, asking to speak with Chief Deaton.
The call was transferred to the administration section, where a very pleasant woman said Deaton was “not available,” but she offered to take a number and have the chief call back.
That call hadn’t been returned by the time this story was published.
In reaching out to the Gillette City Council, messages left for five members weren’t responded to.
One member, James West, said that “the last I heard,” Deaton was still the police chief, then added that he has been out of pocket for the last week and missed the last weekly council briefing.
“I know there was some employee issues they had at the city,” he added, “but we don’t have much to do with city personnel. We were briefed a couple weeks ago there was some issues with some city employees, but haven’t heard anything else.”
Another council member, Jack Clary, said simply that regarding the city’s police chief, “I’m sorry, I can’t comment on that. You have to talk to Administrator Cole.”
About two hours after contacting Cole, who said then Deaton was still chief, the retirement announcement was released.
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.
