Jones was a hero, who never sought the spotlight

Mark White is Editor of The News Journal.

In 2007, Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison had a problem.

His police chief, who two months earlier had been suspended after a failed drug test, resigned after another drug test came back with a diluted sample.

A year earlier, another officer resigned prior to a termination hearing after being involved in an on-duty crash where he struck another driver. A toxicology test showed cocaine and Oxycodone in his system at the time of the crash.

Harrison needed someone to take over as police chief, who could restore trust and confidence in the department. He needed someone, whose reputation and character were above reproach.