In Olive Branch, Mississippi, WMC Action News 5 recently discovered yet another instance of a police officer departing one department under questionable circumstances, only to be employed by another nearby law enforcement agency.
The officer who committed the wrongdoing is now facing the consequences of his actions. He has lost both of his jobs and there is a possibility that he may be prohibited from serving as a law enforcement officer in the entire state of Tennessee.
The Collierville Police Department’s Facebook page displays an image featuring former officer DeMario Pree alongside Police Chief Dale Lane during Pree’s graduation from the police academy in November 2022.
Pree had a decertification hearing with the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission on Thursday in Nashville. This hearing was regarding his resignation from the Collierville Police Department while disciplinary action was still pending against him.
The reason behind Pree’s departure remains undisclosed by Collierville police.
According to Action News 5, Pree departed from the agency in the spring of 2024 and reappeared at the Olive Branch Police Department in DeSoto County, Mississippi.
On June 6, the Olive Branch Police Department shared a photo on their Facebook page showing Mayor Ken Adams smiling and shaking hands with Pree during his swearing-in with the department.
Following the POST hearing that took place on Thursday, a statement was released by Mayor Adams and Police Chief William Cox, despite Pree’s absence.
“Effective immediately, DeMario Pree is no longer employed by the Olive Branch Police Department. Personnel matters are not discussed by the Olive Branch Police Department nor the City of Olive Branch.”
No explanation was given for Pree’s absence during the POST hearing. However, a witness at the hearing informed the commission that Pree was aware of the scheduled hearing.
According to a staff member who spoke to the commission, the individual in question had originally been scheduled for last month, but had requested to be rescheduled for this month due to a sick family member. However, when contacted a couple of days ago, the person was not available to attend the meeting.
Despite the commission’s efforts to accommodate Pree, he failed to attend his hearing. The commission went so far as to move Pree’s hearing from second on the agenda to the bottom, providing him with additional time to make an appearance. However, Pree was a no-show, and the hearing proceeded without him.
The POST commission unanimously voted to decertify Pree, despite his absence. The State of Mississippi will be informed about his decertification by Tennessee’s POST commission. It remains uncertain whether this will affect his prospects of securing another law enforcement job in the Magnolia State.
