BROOKFORD, N.C. — Court documents say Brookford Police Chief Willie Armstrong ‘purposely’ left his cell phone recording in a person’s home in the fall of 2024, but a judge dismissed the charges this Spring after an SBI investigation.
What has not been cleared up, according to a lawsuit, is that Chief Armstrong has been “blackballed” from testifying in any criminal cases.
According to the lawsuit, that decision by the District Attorney prevents Armstrong from making arrests, enforcing traffic laws, and even handling evidence.
Officers who receive blacklist notifications are almost always terminated and unable to find other law enforcement jobs.
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The lawsuit says Armstrong was initially charged after reopening the 1992 murder of Dee Dee Dawkins and then later announcing his plans to run for sheriff.
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Chief Armstrong has repeatedly said the whole criminal investigation against him was “politically motivated,” something the sheriff’s office says is “completely without merit”.
Last year Armstrong posted a video about the impact of the charges on his career and his family.
“How many other officers are there that they are trying to ruin their careers,” Armstrong said, ”They’ve put my family through stress. They’ve put me through stress. And for no reason whatsoever. It’s disgusting”
The district attorney says he hasn’t read the lawsuit yet, but nothing is changing in connection with his decision to blackball Chief Armstrong.
Channel 9’s Dave Faherty spoke with the mayor in Brookford; hear more about what he said on Eyewitness News at 5:30 p.m.