Metropolis police officer facing misconduct charges

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- A Metropolis police officer has been indicted for not arresting the mayor's son after the officer allegedly saw the man commit a crime.

Joe Basham is charged with two counts of official misconduct.

Prosecutors allege Basham saw Chance Clanahan with an uncased, loaded .357 caliber pistol in his car on Feb. 13 but did not arrest him. Clanahan is the son of Metropolis Mayor Beth Clanahan.

Chance Clanahan was charged on May 16 with two felony counts of unlawful use of a weapon. According to prosecutors, the gun should not have been in the car, nor should have it been ready to use.

Metropolis police Chief Mike Worthen did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Mayor Beth Clanahan declined to comment on Basham's arrest. She also would not say whether the arrest is related to the city's investigation of police department policies and procedures.

Basham was arrested by the Illinois State Police as part of an investigation of the Metropolis police department, Master Sgt. Rick Hector said Wednesday.

The suspect was freed Monday on $5,000 bond.

Metropolis is in far southern Illinois, near the Kentucky border. The city of 6,700 claims to be the home of Superman.