UPDATE Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.
Fire Captain Clayton "Skip" Ellison was terminated from his position Monday, according to Mayor Crystal Ottinger.
Ellison was indicted on two counts of aggravated stalking earlier this month. He's accused of stalking the county's emergency management director.
ORIGINAL STORY Friday, Jan. 5, 2018: A Cocke County commissioner is accused of stalking the county’s emergency management director.
Clayton "Skip" Ellison turned himself in Thursday afternoon to sheriff’s authorities, records show.
Ellison told 10News on Friday he planned to fight the charges, which he attributed to "bad politics."
A Cocke County grand jury returned two counts of aggravated stalking against him Thursday.
Charges allege the 49-year-old Ellison, of Newport, stalked Kevin Benton at various times Jan. 27, March 1 and Sept. 5 of last year.
Ellison’s actions were bad enough that Benton felt threatened, the charges state.
Bond is set at $1,000 – with the condition that Ellison have no contact with Benton, records show.
