ELBERTA — The latest chapter in the Elberta police chief saga has been written, and according to Mayor Marvin Williams, the next step is to decide whether to fill the vacancy by promoting from within the police department or hire someone else.

Mickey Pledger resigned as the Elberta police chief on Tuesday, Williams said.

“He resigned through his attorney,” Williams said.

Williams said Pledger’s attorney sent an e-mail to the town’s attorney, Ken Raines, on Tuesday stating that Pledger resigned. Williams said that according to Raines, the e-mail makes it official, and he later received a formal letter from Pledger’s attorney.

According to Williams, former Summerdale Police Chief Dwain Riebeling has showed initial interest in the vacant police chief position.

“He and I talked as individuals,” Williams said. “We would consider him like we would all applicants, no better and no worse.”

The Summerdale Town Council unanimously voted on March 17 to terminate Riebeling’s employment with the town. Summerdale Mayor David Wilson requested a hearing in front of the council and sent a letter to Riebeling with 14 reasons for the termination request. Some of the reasons included: inefficiency, inattention to duty, insubordination, neglect of duty, failure to conduct a proper investigation regarding a June 2010 shooting incident and failure to buy a license for a grass-cutting business that Riebeling operated within town limits.

Riebeling could not appeal the council’s decision to terminate his employment because he was an appointed, unclassified employee.

Williams said there have been no decisions made about the long-term plans for the police chief position.

“It will be whether the mayor and council decide to promote from within, and if we decide to do such, then we wouldn’t advertise for a police chief opening,” Williams said, noting that if the town does promote from within then Interim Police Chief Julie Joyner would be considered. She was named the interim chief on March 7.

“Most likely, we will advertise for a police chief opening in the newspaper and pick up applications at town hall,” Williams said. “I already have three resumes on my desk for the position."

Williams said it will take a while before the process begins, though.

“It’s probably going to take two months before I’m even interested in advertising,” he said. “We want to let things settle down first … We’ll do interviews and then make recommendations to the council, and the council will decide from there. It’s a drawn out procedure.”

The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office announced on March 4 that Pledger had been arrested and charged with firing into an occupied building, filing a false police report and tampering with evidence.

Pledger filed a report stating that on Feb. 13 a man shot at him outside the Elberta Police Department. Pledger claims he was looking for a file in his vehicle when he spotted a man near the back of the building. Pledger said in the report that when he approached the man, a single shot was fired. Pledger said he fired a shot in return, but the suspect fled the scene on foot.

According to a released statement by the sheriff's office, Pledger failed a polygraph exam and then admitted to the above charges.