(KNSI) – A police chief who was under investigation has resigned. Big Lake Police Chief Matthew Hayen’s resignation was accepted this week after an investigation by the city. The city hired a private agency that determined Hayen made “multiple untruthful and inaccurate statements” and violated department policy after he and former Chief Joel Scharf bought handguns in Plymouth last July.
Federal investigators say Hayen changed documents that allowed him to bypass the standard background check to buy a gun. Investigators say Hayen changed the number of guns he could buy from one to two, allowing Scharf also to purchase a gun. Officials say the store had refused to sell to Scharf because he had moved to Arizona and no longer had a valid Minnesota address.
The investigation shows Hayen “falsely attested that he was the buyer of the firearm” that Scharf bought.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to file criminal charges against Hayen, but the ATF sent him a warning notice of straw purchasing.
City officials began investigating after former Police Chief Scharf filed a complaint in August. The consultant stated Scharf “likely had ulterior motives for a making his complaint.”
Scharf resigned in May of 2021 for a medical reason. It was later learned he was under investigation for alleged unfair election practices. The BCA investigation ended without criminal charges. The report says that animosity had developed between the two men stemming from that investigation.
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