By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – University of Montevallo Police Chief Chadd Adams has resigned from his position with the university after he was arrested by the Alabaster Police Department in November 2017 on a drunken driving charge.

Adams, 45, who had served with UM as assistant chief and chief for the past 10 years, confirmed his resignation on Feb. 6 after he was contacted to offer comment on the arrest record, which was obtained by the Shelby County Reporter earlier the same day. The arrest record was not included in the batch of weekly arrest records sent to the newspaper the week Adams was arrested.

According to the record, Adams, a Montevallo resident, was arrested by APD at 12:13 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, and charged with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol while driving a 2006 Nissan Altima. The arrest record provided to the newspaper does not list Adams’ blood alcohol content at the time of his arrest, but it was at least 0.08 percent to meet the requirement for the misdemeanor charge.

Adams was released from the city jail at 1:11 p.m. the same day he was arrested.

Because it was Adams’ first offense, he was eligible to enter the Alabaster Municipal Court’s pre-trial diversion program, through which first-time offenders plead guilty to the charge and agree to complete community service, pay court costs and submit to random drug and alcohol screenings over a several-month period. If Adams completes the requirements of the diversion program, the charge will be dismissed.

On Feb. 6, Adams said he was in the process of completing the program, and said he wished to apologize to the community, his family and the University of Montevallo for his actions.

“Thank you for the opportunity to respond. I offer no excuse. The officers did their job that night. I am extremely sorry for my poor decision that evening,” Adams wrote in an email. “I have been given no special treatment from Alabaster and I am following through with the requirements set by the judge. The university has been extremely supportive, but I have put them in a very difficult situation and I apologize.

“I have embarrassed the university, my profession, myself but most of all my family. There are consequences to your actions and I will meet mine head-on and become a better person from this,” Adams wrote. “I have resigned my position as the chief of police at the university and very grateful to have served the campus community for 10 years.”

After Adams announced his resignation, UM issued a statement thanking him for his years of service to the police department.

“The University of Montevallo has received notice of Chief Chadd Adams’ resignation as its chief of police. While the University regrets the circumstances that have led to Chief Adams’ resignation, we understand and respect his decision,” read the statement. “The university acknowledges with appreciation Chief Adams’ many years of faithful service, and wishes him well in his future endeavors.”