The Ellsworth City Council fired the city's police chief in March because he showed up at the station drunk and in possession of a firearm on an evening in December 2023, according to a letter the council issued to the former chief. 

The letter was first disclosed Wednesday by a local TV station and obtained from the city by Spectrum News.  

The letter is dated March 12, the day after the council voted 6-0 to fire Glenn Moshier from his position as chief, naming Deputy Police Chief Troy Bires as interim chief. At the time, officials gave few details about why Moshier was fired. 

The council, according to the letter, based its findings on an independent investigation and a disciplinary hearing with Moshier. 

The letter goes into detail about an incident on Dec. 22, 2023. Moshier, who was not on duty at the time, received a phone call at about 10:30 p.m. to tell him about an officer-involved shooting that had happened that evening. 

Moshier, according to the letter, later testified to the council that before he got the phone call he had “consumed five alcoholic beverages (beer) between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.” 

Upon getting the phone call, Moshier reported to the police station, telling the council it was his responsibility to support his officers. 

But he didn’t drive himself. Instead, he asked his wife to drop him off. He also stopped on the way at a convenience store for an iced tea and a pack of gum. 

He was also carrying an off-duty weapon when he got to the station shortly before 11 p.m. 

“Based on your interactions with various people at the station, five officers and DC Bires said they smelled alcohol on your breath,” the council wrote in its letter. “Some witnesses said your speech was slurred but others did not notice slurred speech. Several officers said they thought you were still under the influence of alcohol when you arrived at the station as you were acting uncharacteristically loud and emotional.” 

The council indicated that there was enough evidence to conclude that Moshier was under the influence that evening. It charged Moshier with violating four different city policies, all relating to professional conduct and possession of firearms by city police officers.