ASHEVILLE - Newly hired city police chief Chris Bailey has resigned, citing personal reasons.

Bailey said Sept. 11 he will leave his position at the Asheville Police Department after only two months on the job. His last day will be Sept. 27.

The former Indianapolis Metropolitan Police deputy chief told the Citizen Times he is quitting to deal with family problems that resulted from being apart from his wife and three children. They had intended to join him in Asheville but were still in Indianapolis.

"We believed we could make it work. But things manifested themselves at home that I didn't foresee," he said. "I love this job but I always put my family first."

More:Robert White, Asheville's next interim chief, comes from lengthy police career

It was "heartbreaking," he said, to leave "after being embraced by so many." Bailey said he appreciated the confidence placed in him by City Manager Debra Campbell who hired him and the support he received from the police department, city management and the community.

Bailey served for 20 years as an Indianapolis officer, leaving the department as deputy chief of investigations. He said he intends to return to work for that agency.

Bailey is Asheville's fifth police chief since 2003.

More:Who's led Asheville Police Department? 5 chiefs in 16 years

Campbell announced his selection on June 13, and he started the job July 29 with a $165,000 salary, plus benefits. He replaced former Chief Tammy Hooper, who resigned following turmoil over the police beating of a black pedestrian and news she ordered an intelligence operation to monitor local civil rights groups.

Before the resignation announcement, Bailey took part in a 9/11 ceremony in front of the police and fire departments at 8:30 a.m.. He stood in a suit while other officers and firefighters wore uniforms. Afterward, Bailey walked to the side entrance of the police department where he shook hands with officers and was overheard saying, "pleasure working with you."

Bailey and Campbell declined to comment that morning about the possibility he would be leaving.

In response to questions about his employment, city staff said an announcement would be coming "in response to the social media chatter."

In a Sept. 10 Facebook post, blogger and former Buncombe County Republican Chairman Chad Nesbitt said sources told him Bailey would resign because of a past felony charge which had been pleaded down to a misdemeanor.

Past charge unrelated to resignation, city says

When it came in the late morning, the announcement said city officials were "aware of the circulation of information regarding charges against Chief Bailey."

"Chief Bailey was involved in an incident that resulted in a misdemeanor," the announcement said. "This information was voluntarily shared by the chief at the beginning of the interview process and is in no way related to his decision to resign. The incident took place 15 years ago and was not associated with his service as a police officer. Chief Bailey has had an exemplary record in his service as a law enforcement officer."

In a June 14 interview with the Citizen Times, Bailey was questioned about a five-day suspension on his record. He declined to talk about the details of the suspension, saying that he had "made some mistakes early in my career, but learned from those mistakes."

"I’ve spent the last 15 years doing my best to be a great husband, father and cop. My record of service since 2004 proves that," he said at the time.

Speaking with the Citizen Times after his Sept. 11 resignation announcement, Bailey went into more detail, saying the misdemeanor was pleaded down from a felony. He declined to say more except that the records were "sealed and expunged" in Indiana.

"I am not going to drag other people I care about into this," he said.

Media report from that incident

According to a story published in Indy Star on July 10, 2004, Bailey was arrested and charged with two felonies and two counts of misdemeanor battery after he allegedly punched, showed a gun and threatened his estranged wife's male friend on July 2, 204. During the encounter he pushed open his wife's door, knocking her to the floor.

A felony conviction would have been grounds for his dismissal from the department, according to the article.

Bailey had started the process of getting certified as a law enforcement officer in North Carolina, he said, but made the resignation decision before its completion.

"I was going through the process. Because of that incident, the process was a bit longer," he said. Bailey added he volunteered more information to certification officials than was required.

In the announcement, Campbell called Bailey's departure "disappointing."

“While this news is unfortunate, we continue to be committed to hiring a police chief who demonstrates the ability to meaningfully connect with the community and fellow police officers,” the city manager said. “I hate to see Chris go, but I respect his decision.”

Mayor Esther Manheimer did not return a call seeking comment.

More on APD's search for a chief:

Interim chief, new search

The top position will be filled by interim Chief Robert C. White, a former police chief in Denver, Colorado; Louisville, Kentucky; and Greensboro.

The new police chief search will be conducted by Washington, D.C.-based Police Executive Research Forum, or PERF, which handled the process that ultimately hired Bailey for a $35,000 fee.

It will not charge the city any additional professional service fees for the second search, though it can charge for other costs incurred through personnel and travel expenses.

“This is a continuation of our process, and we’re going to work until we get it right,” said Charlotte Lansinger, an executive search consultant at PERF.

Lansinger said quick departures after its outside search process are not common. Bailey was the right fit for Asheville, she said, pointing to his record as a police executive and calling him a “family oriented person.”

“Life can be unpredictable,” she said. “And it’s tough to anticipate when you make this kind of career change the impact that’s going to have on your family. And Chris’ family is still in Indianapolis and he has young children. This has taken a toll that was just unanticipated.

“And I know he talked at length with his family before taking the job. You just don’t know until you’re in the situation what it’s going to be like.”

The firm will work with Campbell on its next search. Consultants likely will revisit their original candidate pool and may do additional outreach.

“We want to find a good fit,” Lansinger said. “We had a good fit with Chris. Debra, the community, we all felt like this was a really good fit. So we’re going to keep working at that.”

White, who has spoken with department personnel while assisting as a PERF consultant in the search process, comes with more than 40 years of law enforcement experience. Most recently, he served as the police chief in Colorado's largest city.

A biography provided to the city by PERF describes by White as “a major American chief executive with a keen understanding for implementing cultural change.”

White has a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of the District of Columbia and a master’s degree in applied behavioral science from Johns Hopkins University.

“He is very seasoned and experienced, and he knows North Carolina and now he knows Asheville, and he knows Debra (Campbell),” Lansinger said.

City spokeswoman Polly McDaniel said the city has not yet executed a contract with White, but it anticipates it will cover the period of time between Bailey's departure and the start of the next chief.

Bailey's background in Indianapolis

• Bailey, 43, was an Indianapolis officer for two decades, starting with the department in 1999.

• He described his early years as a more "rambunctious" period. He penned an op-ed defending 1,800 citations given during a 2002 downtown Black Expo. In 2003, he ran for the city-county council.

• In 2002, Bailey got an automatic one-day suspension for failing to find scissors hidden on an arrestee. Two years later he was suspended for five days; In a June 14 interview with the Citizen Times he declined to describe that incident.

• Bailey said he'd been "open and transparent" with Asheville City Manager Debra Campbell, his new boss about the incident: "I made some mistakes early in my career, but learned from those mistakes," he said. "I've spent the last 15 years doing my best to be a great husband, father and cop."

• After that time, Bailey rose quickly through the ranks. In 2011, he made lieutenant, followed by promotions to major, commander, captain and, in 2017, deputy chief. For many years he was the department's media contact dealing frequently with reporters. He won more than 10 awards and commendations, including nomination for officer of the year among police, firefighters and sheriff's deputies.

• In announcing her choice, Campbell said she picked Bailey from 89 "very high-caliber candidates."