Woodland welcomed a new interim police chief Tuesday less than two weeks after a detective filed a tort claim full of misconduct allegations against former interim Chief Brad Gillaspie.
Former Cowlitz County Sheriff Bill Mahoney took over for Gillaspie this week after the City Council voted on Monday night to hire Mahoney on a part-time contract that will keep him on staff through the end of November. Mahoney will be paid $2,300 each month as the city continues its search for a permanent full-time chief.
Mahoney retired in 2009 after a 40-year law enforcement career that included time with the Seattle Police Department and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. He joined the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office in 1977 and served his last 10 years there as the head of the department.
The councilors voted to hire Mahoney 11 days after Detective David Plaza filed a tort claim, stating his intention to sue the city for at least $2 million. In his claim, Plaza accused Gillaspie of invasions of privacy, sexual harassment involving young females and using racial slurs aimed at Plaza. Plaza is of Filipino, Mexican and Italian ancestry, according to his attorneys.
