FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Cumberland County commissioners have chosen Chief Deputy Ennis Wright as the new sheriff.
Local media outlets reported the commission made the selection Tuesday morning.
Wright has been serving as interim sheriff since Earl Butler announced his retirement in November. Butler's retirement officially took effect Saturday night. He was midway through his sixth term, having been sheriff since 1994.
Wright will serve until the end of Butler's term in 2018.
Butler had recommended Wright as his replacement.
Before becoming Cumberland County sheriff, Butler had worked nearly 30 years as a state probation and parole officer.