THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 15, 1996 TAG: 9602150369
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
The Chesapeake City Council is expected to call an emergency meeting Friday to discuss questions about an internal police investigation in a case involving the son of a high-ranking officer accused of stealing an all-terrain vehicle from the home of Vice Mayor Robert T. Nance Jr.
Although council members and police would not discuss details of the case, city officials said the council has asked Police Chief Ian M. Shipley Jr. to provide information by Friday on his department's actions in the investigation of the son of Chesapeake police Capt. William L. Spruill.
Spruill, a 25-year veteran of the force, serves as Shipley's administrative aide.
Spruill's son, William Lawrence Spruill Jr., 23, of Corapeake, N.C., was arrested in November and charged with breaking and entering and grand larceny of a four-wheel drive, all-terrain vehicle. The theft occurred in November 1994.
Also charged in the case was Sean Devinney, 22, of the 5500 block of New Colony Drive in Virginia Beach, who reportedly shared a home with the younger Spruill.
According to transcripts of a police interview filed in Chesapeake court, Devinney implicated the younger Spruill in the theft.
In exchange for his testimony and cooperation, prosecutors reached an agreement with Devinney that calls for him to plead guilty to either burglary or grand larceny and receive a three-year suspended sentence, court records show.
The $4,300 all-terrain vehicle, which belonged to Nance's son Colby, was found after Devinney was arrested in Virginia Beach for allegedly stealing paint. After his arrest, Devinney offered information to detectives about the Chesapeake case, according to the police interview transcript.
A Virginia Beach detective called Nance, Devinney said in the taped interview, and told him that they had located the ATV. The vehicle was found at a home on the 2200 block of General Booth Blvd. in Virginia Beach.
To avoid an appearance of conflict, Chesapeake Commonwealth's Attorney David L. Williams removed himself and his office from the case in November.
Kenneth A. Phillips, an assistant commonwealth's attorney in Suffolk, is prosecuting the case, which is scheduled to go to trial in Chesapeake on Feb. 28.
Capt. Spruill declined to comment about the police investigation when reached at home Wednesday night.
Police officials would not confirm that an internal investigation had taken place and would not say whether any officers had been demoted or lost any pay as a result of the handling of the case.
Williams also removed himself from two other cases, both of which involved the sons of prominent Chesapeake citizens. Police action in these cases is apparently not in question by the council, city officials said.
The November grand jury charged Alan Keith Butt, 27, of the 2500 block of Centerville Turnpike South, with buying, receiving and concealing stolen goods in connection with the purchase of another all-terrain vehicle. He is the son of Chesapeake Councilman John W. Butt.
A later grand jury charged William Jeremy Brickhouse, 20, of the 700 block of Yorkshire Trail, with receiving stolen goods. He is the son of Sheriff's Department Capt. William Brickhouse.
Phillips is also prosecuting these cases, but neither has a trial date. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Police Chief Ian M. Shipley Jr.
by CNB