Supporters of fired police chief pray for his reinstatement

ENGLAND, AR - Supporters of former England Police Chief Herman Hutton held a prayer vigil Monday night, hoping the mayor will give him his job back. They say Hutton’s termination amounts to “religious discrimination.”

Hutton is appealing the decision at the city council meeting Tuesday night. The group is praying that the council will reinstate Hutton.

“He deserves his job back,” says Jamie Jackson. “He was fired for religious reasons.”

Mayor Danny Maynard won’t discuss the reasons for terminating Hutton, saying only that the decision was as personnel issue.

Hutton says the mayor fired him for preaching on city time, a claim Hutton denies.

“The only write up I got was I needed to separate my religion from my job performance,” says Hutton. “I did that. I preached on my days off. I got my sermons together on my days off.”

“He is a very wonderful man,” says Shazanda Herron, another attendee at the prayer vigil “He loves everybody and he has the best interests for this community.