Chastain Resigns as Demorest Police Chief, Speaks About Events Leading to Departure
By: Nora Almazan
Casey Chastain has resigned as chief of the Demorest Police Department following months of tension that he says began with complaints made against him in January and continued even after an investigation into the allegations concluded.
Chastain has spent 18 years in law enforcement, including 13 years with the Demorest Police Department. He served as the city's police chief since 2024.
His resignation comes during a period of significant turnover within the department. The assistant police chief, James Minutello, and several officers have also resigned in recent weeks, leaving the department with a substantially reduced police force.
In an interview with WCHM, Chastain said the events leading to his resignation began in January when allegations were made concerning his management of the department.
One complaint, according to Chastain, alleged that he was showing favoritism toward a female employee who had been given additional responsibilities. Chastain said the employee was assigned more tasks because he believed she was capable of handling them and that she was not given a pay increase for the additional work.
A separate allegation involved inappropriate physical contact, with Chastain accused of massaging the employee's shoulders. Chastain said that when the employee was questioned during the investigation, she stated that no one at the police department had touched her.
Chastain said he asked for an outside investigation and wanted the Gwinnett County Police Department to conduct it because he believed an outside, nationally accredited agency would provide an objective review.
Instead, according to Chastain, the City of Demorest hired an attorney to investigate the complaints. Chastain said the investigation cleared him of the allegations.
Chastain said the conclusion of the investigation, however, did not end the problems he was experiencing at City Hall.
He said tension between him and City Manager Mark Musselwhite continued to escalate and that there were times he felt beaten down by the situation. Chastain said he went to the mayor and members of the city council with concerns about what was happening but felt nothing was done to address them.
He also said there were occasions when he was asked to take actions that he believed would not have been legal for him to carry out as police chief.
Chastain said he had never been disciplined during his 13 years with the Demorest Police Department and that his last performance evaluation before the issues began in January was nearly perfect.
As the relationship with city management deteriorated, Chastain said he increasingly felt as though he was being asked to "jump through hoops." He cited one instance in which Musselwhite instructed him to read a book and write a two-page paper about it.
Chastain previously retained an attorney and said he believes the treatment he received following the investigation and his decision to obtain legal representation amounted to retaliation.
Despite the circumstances surrounding his resignation, Chastain said he remains proud of his time in Demorest and particularly proud of the officers who served with him.
When the assistant chief and three of the department's other five officers resigned, Chastain said he worked to make sure they were able to find positions elsewhere.
“I have really enjoyed and am very proud of the time I spent in Demorest, and extremely proud of the officers I worked with and the relationships that were made,” Chastain told WCHM. “We did a lot of good positive things in the city and I will miss it and the citizens that live there. I wish things could have ended different but God has a plan for me and I trust in that!”
Chastain also expressed support for the city's new interim police chief. He said the two have known each other for more than 20 years, that he considers him a friend and that he believes the interim chief will do a good job.
Chastain said he is willing to assist the new chief in any way he can during the transition.
He has also been in contact with the Habersham County Sheriff's Office regarding law enforcement coverage for the city following the departures.
WCHM reached out to the mayor and some members of the Demorest City Council for comment regarding Chastain's statements and the circumstances surrounding his resignation.
WCHM also attempted to reach City Manager Mark Musselwhite by phone.
As of publication, no response had been received.
Despite the difficult final months of his tenure, Chastain said his focus remains on the years he spent serving Demorest, the officers he worked alongside and the relationships he built with residents of the community.
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