Police captain who cited reopened gym takes over as chief is investigated, NC town says
A police captain who cited a gym for reopening under North Carolina’s coronavirus-related restrictions is now leading his department while its chief is under investigation, officials say.
Snap Fitness in Holly Ridge started operating again on May 1, more than a month after the statewide ban on gyms went into effect, owner Nick Koumalatsos said in a YouTube video.
He says officers from the Holly Ridge Police Department “raided” his business and gave him a citation on May 7. Later, chief Keith Whaley told him the citation would be “voided,” Koumalatsos said in his video.
A request for information from the town of Holly Ridge wasn’t immediately returned Thursday morning.
A post on Snap Fitness’ Facebook page called N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper’s restrictions “unconstitutional” and said the reopened facility was following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But the gym was running in violation of the statewide order, town manager Heather Reynolds told WNCT. Capt. Ewan Richards used a key card to enter the facility and issued a citation on Monday, officials told the TV station.
The police captain is now taking on the duties of the chief while Whaley is under investigation, WCTI reported.
Officials haven’t said whether the probe was related to the gym, according to The Daily News. The investigation is related to a personnel matter and isn’t criminal, the newspaper reported.
Snap Fitness on Monday announced it had temporarily closed.
Koumalatsos told McClatchy News he is raising money to pursue legal action against the state and town. A GoFundMe page under his name raised more than $26,500 as of Friday afternoon.
Holly Ridge is a town in Onslow County, near the coast and roughly 30 miles northeast of Wilmington.
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 11:55 AM.
