Asheville Police Officer Beau Baley Resigns After DWI, Child Abuse Arrest

Senior Police Officer Beauregard “Beau” Baley, 43, of Fairview, resigned from the Asheville Police Department effective Feb. 26, 2026, after his Feb. 7 arrest by Buncombe County sheriff’s deputies on multiple charges including driving while impaired and misdemeanor child abuse. Asheville police announced the resignation on Feb. 26 and said Baley left the department before an internal investigation could be completed.

Buncombe County deputies arrested Baley on Feb. 7 and booked him on charges widely reported across local outlets: driving while impaired, misdemeanor child abuse, public urination, resisting a public officer and reckless driving. WLOS identified Charlotte Highway as the roadway where the incident unfolded and reported Baley was off‑duty at the time. WLOS also reported that a child passenger under 16 was in the vehicle and was unbuckled.

WLOS’s account summarized investigators’ allegations in pointed language: Baley “drove a vehicle on Charlotte Highway while under the influence of an impairing substance, disregarding the rights and safety of others.” The Asheville Police Department placed Baley on administrative leave after the arrest and opened an internal investigation; the department’s news release said it “is unable to provide further information,” citing North Carolina General Statutes that govern personnel matters.

Baley had been employed by the department since December 2021 at the rank of Senior Police Officer in the patrol division and drew an annual base salary listed as $57,443.88 in the city employee database. Department records and social media show Baley received a Life Saving Award in June 2025 for actions during Tropical Storm Helene; photos of that award presentation include now‑retired Chief Mike Lamb, Deputy Chief Sean Aardema and interim Police Chief Jackie Stepp.

Media assets and agency files show some variation in name usage; one image file is labeled “Beauregard Terence Baley 2.jpg,” suggesting a middle name appears in at least one departmental or media asset. The department announced Baley’s resignation on Feb. 26; other outlets used timing phrases such as “effective immediately” or “effective Thursday,” but the department’s announcement gives Feb. 26 as the specific effective date.

Criminal and administrative processes remain active. Buncombe County arrest reports and any subsequent court filings will provide formal charging documents and case numbers, and the APD internal investigation remains open until administrative records are completed or released under applicable state law. The department did not release Baley’s resignation letter; reporters have requested that document as part of the ongoing record collection.