BY SHARRON HALEY Special to The Sumter Item

MANNING – Blair Shaffer, the former police chief in Manning whose firing made headlines throughout last summer, was arrested Monday morning by FBI agents.

Information on the arrest is expected to be released Monday afternoon by the United States Attorney General’s Office.

Shaffer was fired as Manning’s police chief in early July 2018.

Manning Mayor Julia Nelson announced Shaffer’s termination as Manning’s police chief in a news release issued on July 12, 2018.  Nelson cited the “safety of our residents, guests and community” when announcing Shaffer’s firing.

Shaffer had been an employee with the City of Manning Police Department for more than 25 years when he was terminated. He fought his termination by asking for a grievance hearing. Following numerous city council meetings and a meeting of the city’s grievance committee, Manning City Council voted to uphold Shaffer’s termination at a special called meeting on Aug. 7.

At a special called meeting on Aug. 10, Manning City Council voted unanimously to “waive attorney-client privilege” in granting a request from an outside agency that was seeking information on a “former or current” employee. Council members did not name the person or department involved in the investigation; information regarding a recent investigation into the city’s police department was mentioned during an Aug. 2 grievance hearing when Shaffer appeared before the city’s Grievance Committee asking for his old job back.

Shaffer referenced a recent investigation into his former department by the city’s attorneys. He told the members of the committee that while his department had been investigated by the attorneys that he did not know their findings even though he had requested the results of their investigation.

This is a developing story. It will be updated as more information becomes available.

For more on this story go to: https://www.theitem.com/stories/former-manning-police-chief-shaffer-arrested-by-fbi,320639