The Evansville Town Council on Monday voted unanimously to terminate Police Chief Tom Laughrey for cause.

The Council met for about 15 minutes for regular business, then voted to go into executive session.

The Council reconvened and Mayor Phil Hinds asked for a motion to terminate Laughrey. After a motion and second, they voted.

Town Attorney Phil Willoughby said the council members needed to be individually polled by name to record the action.

After the vote, Hinds said the termination was a personnel matter and the reason or reasons for Laughrey's dismissal were private.

Hinds said there would be no civil or criminal action taken about Laughrey.

Laughrey was not at the meeting. He did not have a listed phone number.

Hinds said a nationwide search will begin immediately to pick a successor to lead the seven- eight-person department. The Evansville police chief's salary is about $80,000, he said.

Laughrey was the department's captain four years ago when he was named interim chief after the sudden retirement of former Chief Zach Gentile.

K2 Radio News was informed anonymously that Laughrey had been suspended over the weekend, but the caller said nothing else.

Laughrey was suspended for a time last summer amid concerns he would be terminated, but he was reinstated.

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