Former Utah police chief facing criminal drug charges
Sep 6, 2024, 3:52 PM | Updated: 7:14 pm
GUNNISON — A former police chief of the Gunnison Valley Police Department is facing multiple criminal drug charges.
Seth Tyler Hendrickson, 41, was charged on Thursday with two counts of possession or use of heroin, and separate charges for possession of methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. He was also charged with official misconduct.
Hendrickson was chief of police for GVPD on May 23, when a K-9 officer was scheduled to recertify his K-9 for drug detection and went to pick up training aid substances to use in his certification, according to charging documents.
The K-9 officer reported that he was sent the substances in a FedEx box by the DEA on March 29, which he put in a locked drawer accessible to police employees at the GVPD. The box had heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, documents state.
When the K-9 officer went to pick up the FedEx box, it was reportedly missing from the drawer. Charging documents state that the officer and other staff searched the evidence storage room. The FedEx box was not found, but documents state that a container that the K-9 officer gave to Hendrickson on Feb. 23 was located.
Hendrickson reportedly told the K-9 officer Hendrickson needed to “show a youth group the dangers of drugs,” and asked where the K-9 officer’s “DEA drugs” were. The K-9 officer provided cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana to use, as well as mushrooms and paraphernalia, charges state.
The contents of the container were inventoried, and officers reportedly found that a portion of heroin was missing. Documents state the K-9 officer asked Hendrickson if he had taken the FedEx box from the drawer, and Hendrickson said the box was in his car.
Charging documents report, officers found the FedEx box with the evidence-type bags containing drugs in Hendrickson’s patrol car. Each bag was reportedly open, and officers discovered heroin was missing when they weighed the bags.
Documents state that police also found two syringes and needles in the car that had “brown residue in the syringes,” which tested positive for heroin.
On July 17, Hendrickson was served a warrant for a drug test, which reportedly tested positive for codeine, morphine, hydromorphine, and heroin metabolite.
Hendrickson was put on administrative leave in May, and the GVPD confirmed to KSL TV that Hendrickson resigned from the department in July.
