Long before Billy Cole became Beckley's chief of police, he was a high school football standout with dreams of becoming a coach. Little did he know that one day he would find himself coaching a team through an endless battle against one of the most formidable opponents on earth -- crime. From his own experience as a policeman, he knew the Beckley Police Department team would take its fair share of hits. As a detective, he investigated the murder of fellow officer Sgt. David Lilly in 1975. He just never expected his team to take another blow like that. Now, as the force recovers from the shooting death of one of its own, this 41-year veteran of the department he now runs eagerly awaits answers from the ongoing State Police investigation into the death of Cpl. Chuck Smith, 29, who was shot last month while carrying out an impromptu undercover drug buy. [continues 1286 words]
A city police officer is dead, and two Beckley men are in jail charged with his murder following an early Tuesday morning shooting during an undercover drug buy. Beckley Police Detective Cpl. Charles "Chuck" Smith, 29, received three or four gunshot wounds to his torso and was pronounced dead at Raleigh General Hospital, State Police Capt. Scott Van Meter said. Thomas Leftwich, 24, of South Fayette Street, and Michael Martin, 41, of Sour Street, were charged with first-degree murder and arraigned late Tuesday morning before Raleigh County Magistrate John Tanner. [continues 883 words]
