Brevard officer fired after reporting missing evidence to police union, lawsuit alleges
By Gerard Albert III
April 24, 2025 at 4:45 PM EDT
A Brevard police officer alleges he was fired out of retaliation while trying to report missing evidence, including drugs, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court this week.
The North Carolina Division of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association – the state’s largest association of law enforcement employees – filed the lawsuit on behalf of former Brevard Police Department Sgt. Wilson Bunn. The complaint lists the city of Brevard, its police chief and city manager as defendants.
In the lawsuit, PBA lawyers for Bunn say Police Chief Thomas Jordan put the now-fired officer and another detective in charge of the BPD evidence room last year, shortly after Bunn was hired. Several months later, the complaint states, Bunn was promoted but “would come in on his off days to assist in the evidence room.”
Within a few months, Bunn in his lawsuit says he realized there were inconsistencies in the inventory of evidence kept by the police department. Bunn advised another employee in the evidence department they should “notify the local District Attorney or the State Bureau of Investigation — especially if evidence in an active prosecution were missing — and that, in any event, no evidence should be disposed of until the local District Attorney was notified.”
That employee notified Chief Jordan, but according to the lawsuit, Jordan “did not express urgency in addressing the missing evidence.” He also failed to “seal the evidence room, notify the local District Attorney, or inform the State Bureau of Investigation,” the lawsuit states.
Noting this reaction, according to his lawyers, Bunn called the PBA seeking legal counsel.
Bunn, according to his lawyers, was concerned that the department “was not taking the issue seriously, and sought legal advice as to his obligations to report missing evidence to the appropriate authorities.”
In August 2024, Bunn reached out to the PBA “seeking legal advice about evidence, including narcotics items, missing from BPD’s evidence room,” the lawsuit states.
Union lawyers say Bunn’s firing was a direct result of his superiors finding out about this privileged conversation.
A PBA lawyer notified City Attorney Mack McKeller about the concerns over missing evidence.
While the lawsuit doesn’t say how, Jordan became aware of Bunn’s allegations of missing evidence, his lawyers say.
Bunn alleges the police chief ordered that he be locked out of BPD systems and escorted from police property, and “took steps to scapegoat him for the missing evidence.”
The city has not responded to emails sent by BPR requesting comment on the lawsuit.
Through a letter and appearing at a public City Council meeting in August 2024, the Police Benevolent Association said it made city officials aware of the missing evidence and possible retaliation. Bunn also met with City Manager Wilson Hooper “and alerted him to both the missing evidence and Chief Jordan’s retaliatory conduct”, according to the lawsuit.
Bunn was placed under investigation and on administrative leave the next day, and eventually fired, according to the lawsuit.
“It is essential that public employees be able to speak freely on matters of public concern without fear of retaliatory dismissal,” David Rose, president of the North Carolina Division of the Southern States PBA, said.
Jordan, the lawsuit alleges, also tried to have Bunn’s occupational certification revoked by accusing him of removing a jar of marijuana from the evidence room. Bunn’s case was heard in April 2025 by the Probable Cause Committee of North Carolina Criminal Justice Education & Training Standards — a division of the North Carolina Department of Justice. The committee “rejected” the allegations, according to the lawsuit.
"We have never before witnessed such egregious violations of state, federal and constitutional law against a law enforcement officer by government officials,” said John Midgette, North Carolina PBA executive director. “Such actions cannot stand if our police officers are to perform their sworn and lawful duties."
The North Carolina Division of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association – the state’s largest association of law enforcement employees – filed the lawsuit on behalf of former Brevard Police Department Sgt. Wilson Bunn. The complaint lists the city of Brevard, its police chief and city manager as defendants.
In the lawsuit, PBA lawyers for Bunn say Police Chief Thomas Jordan put the now-fired officer and another detective in charge of the BPD evidence room last year, shortly after Bunn was hired. Several months later, the complaint states, Bunn was promoted but “would come in on his off days to assist in the evidence room.”
Within a few months, Bunn in his lawsuit says he realized there were inconsistencies in the inventory of evidence kept by the police department. Bunn advised another employee in the evidence department they should “notify the local District Attorney or the State Bureau of Investigation — especially if evidence in an active prosecution were missing — and that, in any event, no evidence should be disposed of until the local District Attorney was notified.”
That employee notified Chief Jordan, but according to the lawsuit, Jordan “did not express urgency in addressing the missing evidence.” He also failed to “seal the evidence room, notify the local District Attorney, or inform the State Bureau of Investigation,” the lawsuit states.
Noting this reaction, according to his lawyers, Bunn called the PBA seeking legal counsel.
Bunn, according to his lawyers, was concerned that the department “was not taking the issue seriously, and sought legal advice as to his obligations to report missing evidence to the appropriate authorities.”
In August 2024, Bunn reached out to the PBA “seeking legal advice about evidence, including narcotics items, missing from BPD’s evidence room,” the lawsuit states.
Union lawyers say Bunn’s firing was a direct result of his superiors finding out about this privileged conversation.
A PBA lawyer notified City Attorney Mack McKeller about the concerns over missing evidence.
While the lawsuit doesn’t say how, Jordan became aware of Bunn’s allegations of missing evidence, his lawyers say.
Bunn alleges the police chief ordered that he be locked out of BPD systems and escorted from police property, and “took steps to scapegoat him for the missing evidence.”
The city has not responded to emails sent by BPR requesting comment on the lawsuit.
Through a letter and appearing at a public City Council meeting in August 2024, the Police Benevolent Association said it made city officials aware of the missing evidence and possible retaliation. Bunn also met with City Manager Wilson Hooper “and alerted him to both the missing evidence and Chief Jordan’s retaliatory conduct”, according to the lawsuit.
Bunn was placed under investigation and on administrative leave the next day, and eventually fired, according to the lawsuit.
“It is essential that public employees be able to speak freely on matters of public concern without fear of retaliatory dismissal,” David Rose, president of the North Carolina Division of the Southern States PBA, said.
Jordan, the lawsuit alleges, also tried to have Bunn’s occupational certification revoked by accusing him of removing a jar of marijuana from the evidence room. Bunn’s case was heard in April 2025 by the Probable Cause Committee of North Carolina Criminal Justice Education & Training Standards — a division of the North Carolina Department of Justice. The committee “rejected” the allegations, according to the lawsuit.
"We have never before witnessed such egregious violations of state, federal and constitutional law against a law enforcement officer by government officials,” said John Midgette, North Carolina PBA executive director. “Such actions cannot stand if our police officers are to perform their sworn and lawful duties."