An ex parte protection order was granted in Baldwin County circuit court on Friday against former Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) head Spencer Collier on behalf of his wife and two minor children.
The ex parte order, which in effect will act as a temporary restraining order issued until a hearing can be held in the next few days, came after Collier’s wife on Thursday filed a “petition for protection from abuse.” The petition alleges that Collier on Wednesday threatened physical violence against his wife, making her afraid of serious bodily injury.
The petition further states that Collier “is in an unstable state of mind” and that his wife “genuinely fear[ed]” “further abuse” due to purported mental problems he is having.
Collier’s wife is requesting custody of the two teenage children until he is able to seek “treatment…[and] is deemed not to be a risk to self or others.”
Soon after Yellowhammer News obtained copies of the order and the petition on Friday, WKRG reported that Collier was arrested the same day in Daphne for allegedly filing a false police report.
These latest legal proceedings wrap up a whirlwind week for Collier.
First, he announced on Wednesday that his lawsuit with former Governor Robert Bentley and other named parties had been settled, with Collier set to receive $500,000.
Soon afterward on the same day, he announced his medical retirement as chief of the Selma Police Department and that he might be considering a run for the Alabama First Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope).
Collier is currently on medical leave as Selma PD chief. His leave is scheduled to end upon his effective retirement date of July 30.
WKRG is reporting that the criminal charge in Daphne stemmed from an allegation Collier made of fraudulent credit card use at a local hotel.
Collier reportedly told the outlet that he filed the police report because his son used his card. Collier said that at the time of making the report, he was unaware that his wife had given the son permission.
“I have no doubt that I will be exonerated – but the entire episode is embarrassing,” Collier told WKRG. “I wish to apologize to the Daphne Police Department and also express my gratitude for their professionalism throughout the entire incident.”
In a text message to WSFA, he added, “My adult son, who is a recovering addict and multiple felon used my bank card. I filed a police report, being this is the 2nd time in a year that he has done this. I was unaware that my wife (we are currently estranged) [gave] him permission. He pressed charges because I listed him as the suspect.”
Collier, after being booked and released from the Daphne City Jail, is scheduled to appear in court July 30, the last day he is scheduled to be employed by Selma PD.
He served as a state representative from 2002-2010, when he was appointed to lead the Alabama Department of Homeland Security by Bentley. Collier was subsequently appointed head of the newly created ALEA in 2013 by the then-governor. Collier served in that capacity until his highly publicized termination in 2016 and became Selma PD chief in 2017.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
