‘She’s very disappointed’: Hollie Chadwick fired as Henderson police chief

Hollie Chadwick is out as Henderson’s police chief.

Chadwick was fired Thursday by City Manager Stephanie Garcia-Vause because their leadership styles were at odds, Garcia-Vause said in an email to the Henderson Police Department. Garcia-Vause also said in the email she wasn’t confident that Chadwick would improve the department’s culture and operations.

“As you know, on Feb. 13, 2025, I placed Police Chief Hollie Chadwick on leave and informed her that her employment with the city was coming to an end,” Garcia-Vause said in the email, which was sent to police department employees Thursday.

Garcia-Vause said Chadwick “chose not to negotiate the terms” of a proposed separation agreement that was offered by the city.

Chadwick, according to sources, had been told to resign or be fired by Thursday. Until the announcement, the city had only said Chadwick was on leave and that because it was a personnel issue, no further information would be released.

The city manger said the decision “was not based upon any finding of specific misconduct by Chief Chadwick” and it was not made “for cause.”

Instead, Garcia-Vause said in the statement, “our vision and leadership styles were not aligned” and that she expects “department directors to commit to a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.”

She said she “did not have confidence that there would be a focus on making such improvements under (Chadwick’s) leadership.”

When reached by phone after the announcement, Chadwick’s attorney, Paul Padda focused on those words.

“(Garcia-Vause) admits that my client did nothing wrong,” Padda said. “That raises more questions, actually. Why is (Chadwick) being separated at all? She has overwhelming support within the police department. I think this leaves a lot of questions.”

Sparked tension among City Council members

The move sparked tension among elected officials after Councilwoman Carrie Cox offered support for Chadwick and expressed disappointment with how the city handled the chief’s leave of absence.

An online petition to reinstate Chadwick had garnered more than 1,800 signatures, while dozens voiced support for her at recent council meetings. Some supporters wore T-shirts that read “I STAND WITH CHIEF CHADWICK” at the meetings.

In a text message, a city spokesperson said Garcia-Vause was not available for interviews Thursday. In her statement, Garcia-Vause said she plans to move quickly to appoint a new chief.

Deputy Chief Itzhak Henn was promoted to the role of acting chief last month.

“I’ll look to promote a long-term chief from candidates within the department,” Garcia-Vause said.

‘She’s very disappointed’

Chadwick, who was appointed chief of police in May 2023, has bumped heads with police union leaders, union officials have said.

It was no secret that the leadership at multiple unions, including the Henderson Police Officers Association and the Henderson Police Supervisors Association, wanted new leadership at the department.

According to union documents, Chadwick was accused of “union busting” activities that took place in 2024.

In a statement released after the city’s announcement, the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers said it’s thankful the decision was made after Chadwick’s three-week leave of absence.

“The unions’ hope is that we now move forward in a positive direction and that the city collaborates with us during their search for a new, long-term chief for the department,” the statement read.

Despite that, Garcia-Vause said in her memo that the decision to push Chadwick out “was not based on political considerations or any perceived rift with the city’s police unions.”

Padda said Chadwick wasn’t available for an interview Thursday, but that he’d been in contact with her Thursday.

“She’s a person who has a lot of integrity,” Padda said. “She’s very disappointed that she won’t be able to lead the Henderson Police Department.”

Padda wouldn’t commit to saying Chadwick would bring legal action against the city, but did say he plans to “do everything within the bounds of the law to vindicate her” and that he looks forward to “having the full truth come out.”

Officers angered

Chadwick became a Henderson police officer in 2002 and was named chief of police on May 1, 2023, according to the city’s website. Her biography page states that she was the first female commander to oversee a SWAT team in Nevada.

A source within the Henderson Police Department, granted anonymity by the Review-Journal because of fears of retaliation, said Thursday evening that many officers were angered by the announcement.

The situation has also shed light on a rift between some in the police department and some in leadership positions at City Hall.

During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, former Henderson police Sgt. Chad Atkin addressed the council and called the handing of the Chadwick situation “embarrassing.”

“As a whole, you should be embarrassed,” Atkin said while addressing city council members, Garcia-Vause and other city leaders. “It’s embarrassing for me to say I’m a citizen of this city because of the actions taken by this board.”

Despite strong support from many, Chadwick also faced challenges during her tenure as chief.

Months into the job, the department found itself under scrutiny after a detective was accused of hurling a racial slur and urging the killing of Mexicans and Black Lives Matter protesters.

Detective Kevin LaPeer, an internal investigation found, broke the department’s rules on a number of occasions, though Chadwick eventually cleared his disciplinary record. LaPeer denied the accusations.

A Henderson spokesperson issued a statement on behalf of the city’s mayor, Michelle Romero, and the City Council Thursday night. Cox, however, said that she didn’t want to be included in the statement. The other council members include Monica Larson, Jim Seebock, and Dan Stewart.

“We support City Manager Stephanie Garcia-Vause’s decision and are optimistic about the future of the Henderson Police Department,” the statement said. “We look forward to the swift selection of a new chief.”

The city now turns to the task of hiring what will be its ninth police chief since 2005.

Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.