Mayor Supports Chief Accused of Pulling Gun on Officer

In a complaint filed with the state Police Benevolent Association, Officer Ray Collier said Chief John Younts pulled a gun on him on April 11 and threatened to shoot him.

Younts, the 2006 Officer of the Year in Creedmoor, was hired as the chief of Warrenton's five-person police force nine days before the alleged incident.

"We feel very unfortunate that allegations have come up like this. We're giving each one of them a time to explain what they felt like they saw or heard," Gardner said.

A source close to the case told WRAL that Collier waited three weeks before telling anyone about the alleged incident.

The PBA alerted Warrenton officials about the complaint, and the town attorney is looking into the allegation.

Neither PBA nor Warrenton officials would provide details about the complaint. Gardner called it a personnel issue.

Younts declined to comment, except to say that he has received numerous calls of support from the community and other law enforcement agencies.

Collier couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.

Gardner said he has heard of no other complaints about Younts, and he remains confident in the chief's ability to do his job.

"He's done a lot of good things. He's been well recognized by his peers," he said. "He brings a lot of good things to the table."