EMILY, Minn. — The police chief of a small, north-central Minnesota town is on administrative leave after allegedly stealing almost $1,000 worth of the herbal extract Kratom from a local business.
According to Crow Wing County court records, 38-year-old Damien Stalker is accused of taking the product from the store without paying for it from Feb. 1 to Feb. 27. Court records say the items allegedly taken by Stalker amounted to a total of $942.
In April, Stalker was charged with one count of gross misdemeanor theft.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Kratom is sold as a supplement and used for "mood enhancement and fatigue reduction." However, the clinic says its effectiveness and safety have long been debated.
Prosecutors say that when authorities confronted Stalker about the items, he admitted to taking the products from the store without paying, but insisted he was "going to pay the business back." Court documents say Stalked then claimed to have an arrangement with the business for later payment.
The manager of the store, however, told investigators that the arrangement did not exist.
On March 1, the city called an emergency council meeting, in which the council and mayor discussed the next steps for both Stalker and the police department. Stalker was subsequently placed on leave with pay and benefits, pending the outcome of the investigation, while the city's police department was "temporarily deactivated."
In the interim, the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office was put in place to serve over the jurisdiction.
Stalker had been with the department for eight years before becoming chief in 2022.
His first hearing is scheduled for May 10. He remains on administrative leave.
Emily, population 843 at the time of the 2020 census, is located about 150 miles north of the Twin Cities and 30 miles northeast of Brainerd.
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