Richmond, Va., Police Chief Resigns Amid Allegations Of Chris Brown Faking Community Service

After allegations that Chris Brown faked his way through court-mandated community service, Richmond, Va., Police Chief Bryan Norwood has resigned.

Norwood quit, effective Monday, after he faced criticism last week when Los Angeles prosecutors said Brown failed to log the hours of work in Richmond that he claimed, the New York Post reports. It was under Norwood’s jurisdiction that the singer was supposedly able to skim through his community service.

After being sentenced to 180 days — or 1,440 hours — of labor in a plea bargain for his beating of girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, Brown completed 581 hours in Los Angeles County and was then allowed to complete the remainder of his sentence in his home state of Virginia, the Post details.

The Los Angeles Times reported last week that Norwood told a judge in a letter Sept. 14 that Brown finished 202 days of community service, despite being ordered to do only 180.

It would later be revealed that Brown was supervised by Richmond police on only nine or 10 occasions, according to TMZ.

Brown recently appeared in court last week to face these allegations as well as other probation violations. Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey argued that he had given no "credible, competent or verifiable" evidence that he has completed his community service, calling Norwood’s documentation "at best sloppy ... and at worst fraudulent reporting."

Rihanna was notably present at the hearing, having since rekindled her relationship with her attacker.

Prosecutors presented as evidence several instances where Brown claimed to have been carrying out his community service in Virginia, but they have documented proof that he was elsewhere. For example, he claimed to have been picking up trash in Richmond between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2011, but he was actually clearing customs at Dulles International Airport outside Washington after a flight from Dubai, according to records from the Department of Homeland Security.

“It would be unreasonable to believe that after a 12-13 hour flight, the defendant rushed through … early morning rush traffic, traveled directly to Richmond in just over two hours, and then worked eight straight hours picking up trash,” Deputy DA Mary Murray wrote in a statement.

Brown is due back in court April 5, when the DA will urge that the judge throw out his Virginia hours and make him complete the unaccounted time in LA County.

Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones announced Norwood’s resignation Monday.

“He has offered leadership that has brought us a little bit further in our endeavors to improve public safety. In many ways the Richmond Police Department and the city is better off because of his dedication,” Jones said of Norwood, according to the Post.

“We’ve reached, however, a mutual agreement, at this time, that his time as Richmond police chief has come to an end. We certainly wish Chief Norwood much luck in his endeavors going forward.”

Richmond's former assistant chief, Ray Tarasovic, has been persuaded to come out of retirement in order to fill Norwood’s position.