JASPER, Ala. — Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith was arrested Monday morning after a grand jury indicted him on six misdemeanor charges for hiring law enforcement officers who were not properly certified, according to court documents filed June 9, 2025.
The indictment, handed down May 30, alleges Smith knowingly employed individuals—including school resource officers, deputies, and a jailer—who lacked certification from the Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC), the state’s regulatory body for law enforcement training and qualifications. The officers named in the indictment are Danny Alexander, Jeffrey J. Sparks, Sam Bennett, Gregory Shane Harrison, Justin Kelley, and Andrew Neves-McDonald. Some were allowed to carry firearms, wear badges, and make arrests despite not meeting state standards.
Chief Deputy Ralph Williams was also arrested and charged with providing false information to APOSTC regarding the employment status of Neves-McDonald, who was reportedly ineligible for certification due to a prior suspension in another state.
Both Smith and Williams were booked and released on their own recognizance Monday.
The arrests follow an ABC 33/40 News I-Team investigation into APOSTC certification practices in Walker County. Sheriff Smith, first elected in 2018, and his department have faced scrutiny in recent years, including a civil lawsuit related to the 2023 in-custody death of Anthony “Tony” Mitchell, which a coroner classified as medical neglect
Smith has not issued a public statement in response to the charges as of Monday afternoon. The case remains under investigation.