Smith, in a statement to the local newspaper, said in part: "To make a long story short, in retrospect, I made a mistake."

Source: WBTV

OAKBORO, N.C. (WBTV) - A town administrator has placed a North Carolina police chief on unpaid leave because he reportedly was telling officers about a “clinic” to get vaccination cards without actually being vaccinated against COVID-19.

TJ Smith, the police chief of Oakboro, a town in Stanly County, is being disciplined for his actions.

Oakboro Town Administrator Doug Burgess sent Chief Smith a letter, informing him of his decision to punish the chief.

Burgess says Chief Smith was notifying law enforcement officers to attend a “clinic” where they would be able to obtain proof of COVID-19 vaccination cards without being vaccinated.

The letter says this action violates Personnel Policies Section 5: 1) Fraud, 6) Willful acts that endanger the property of others, and 10) Serving a conflicting interest.

The town manager placed Chief Smith on unpaid leave for two weeks, beginning Dec. 21. Chief Smith is also placed on probation for six months.

Twitter was not impressed. A representative tweet.