By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
CHINA GROVE ó H.H. “Hodge” Coffield is no longer China Grove police chief.
Coffield who had served almost four years as chief, left the post Tuesday afternoon.
Mayor Don Bringle confirmed that Coffield was no longer an employee of the town as of Tuesday.
Bringle referred all questions to Town Manager Bill Pless. He said Pless had a statement on the matter.
Pless did not return phone calls from the Post.
Efforts to reach Coffield were also unsuccessful.
Coffield, a native of High Point, joined the Salisbury Police Department in 1985 and rose to the rank of lieutenant.
He started work in China Grove on June 20, 2005. He was selected by former Manager Eric Davis from among 84 applicants for chief of police.
He succeeded Jaymes Holden, who quit after slightly more than a year to take a job with the Pineville Police Department.
A few days before Coffield started work, the town’s interim chief and another officer also quit.
Coffield was the town’s fourth chief in slightly more than a decade. In addition to Holden, others who held the post included Mike Bentley and Dennis Andrade, who retired.
Contact Jessie Burchette at 704-797-4254.