Ex-Sergeant Accuses Brevard PD of Retaliation for Raising Evidence Room Concerns

BREVARD, N.C. — A former police sergeant in Brevard says he was fired for reporting that hundreds of pieces of evidence, including narcotics, were missing from his department’s evidence room, according to a federal lawsuit filed last week.

Sgt. Wilson Bunn and the Southern States Police Benevolent Association (PBA) filed the complaint on April 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. The lawsuit accuses Police Chief Thomas Jordan and City Manager Wilson Hooper of retaliating against Bunn for speaking up about the missing evidence, violating his constitutional rights.

Evidence Concerns Spark Legal Action

Bunn joined the Brevard Police Department as a detective in November 2023. He quickly discovered the evidence room was disorganized and volunteered to help clean it up. According to the lawsuit, he found as many as 253 pieces of evidence missing, including 27 different types of drugs.

Having previously worked in Asheville during a high-profile evidence scandal, Bunn said he understood the serious implications of mismanaged evidence. Concerned that the department was not taking the issue seriously, he contacted the Southern States PBA for legal guidance in August 2024.

PBA attorneys then alerted the city attorney, which allegedly angered Chief Jordan. The lawsuit claims Jordan responded by locking Bunn out of police systems, placing him on administrative leave, and eventually firing him in December.

Accusations and Fallout

The complaint says Jordan blamed Bunn for the missing evidence, accusing him specifically of stealing a jar of marijuana. According to the lawsuit, Jordan also tried to have Bunn’s law enforcement certification revoked. That attempt was rejected by a state review board in April 2025.

Bunn and the PBA argue that his firing was retaliation for exercising his First Amendment rights. “The PBA and Sergeant Bunn look forward to proving their case in court,” said attorney Jeffrey Steven Warren, who is representing the plaintiffs.

City Officials Respond

The City of Brevard has not formally responded to the lawsuit, which had not been served as of April 28, according to an email from Chief Jordan. “We are confident that the City has followed the proper procedures and processes in addressing any personnel matters,” Jordan said. The city’s communications coordinator shared the same statement with local media.

Union Leaders Condemn Retaliation

David Rose, president of the North Carolina Division of the PBA, which represents more than 17,000 members statewide, said in a statement that “it is essential that public employees be able to speak freely on matters of public concern without fear of retaliatory dismissal."

John Midgette, the division’s executive director, added, “We have never before witnessed such egregious violations of state, federal and constitutional law against a law enforcement officer by government officials.”

The lawsuit seeks a jury trial, damages, and other relief for Bunn.