MILLINGTON, TN (abc24.com) - Millington Police Chief Ray Douglas told Mayor Linda Carter he quit when he walked into her office earlier this week, and the interim mayor didn't waste time replacing the veteran policeman.
Ray Douglas doesn't officially leave his post until Friday, but his name is already gone from the police department's website. In its place is the name Rita Stanback.
Mayor Carter said not only was Rita Stanback her first choice to replace Ray Douglas as Millington's Police Chief, the lieutenant was her only choice.
"She's my choice; she has a very calm and stern demeanor," Carter said. "God works in amazing ways."
Carter said when she called Stanback to offer her the opportunity to lead Millington's 50-person police force, the first female police lieutenant in the department's history was calm and quiet.
Carter said, "It was a grand pause on the other end of the telephone line, like 'What?'… I was hoping she would accept it, I wasn't sure."
Stanback said that pause was because she wasn't sure if Mayor Carter had dialed the right number. "I said, 'You know this is Rita you're calling, right? I was shocked."
Former Millington Mayor Richard Hodges wasn't shocked. He said, "She is first class. Mayor Carter made an excellent choice on Stanback, you couldn't ask for a better person."
As for the person she's replacing, Ray Douglas, Hodges didn't mince words. Hodges and Douglas didn't always see eye to eye when Hodges was mayor.
"I'm glad he's gone," he said, "you couldn't tell a hard-headed sucker what to do."
Stanback said as Police Chief, she just wants to do her best, which she hopes will result in "hopefully a more calm Millington, get rid of the bad publicity we've been getting."
Stanback said as an Interim Chief she doesn't plan on making any changes within the department.
Ray Douglas didn't want to talk on camera, but told abc24.com by phone he decided to step down because simply, "It was time."
