COHUTTA, GA. — The Cohutta Town Council on Thursday passed an ordinance reinstating the town's police department and restoring the jobs of officers two days after Mayor Ron Shinnick fired them all. The officers were reinstated immediately and will receive back pay.

A standing-room-only crowd of townspeople, news media and police officers attended the special meeting in Cohutta, a Georgia town of about 930 residents located just south of the Tennessee line and roughly 100 miles northwest of Atlanta. Multiple townspeople said they were attempting to livestream the meeting on social media, but weak cell service in the area did not allow them to do so.

As of Wednesday morning, Shinnick had terminated the jobs of the police chief and about 10 officers. A sign posted in Cohutta announced that the police department had been dissolved per the mayor. Officers were seen clearing out the police department building and removing equipment. The Whitfield County Sheriff's Office said its deputies would help the townspeople if needed while no Cohutta officers were working.

Exact reasons for the terminations have not been shared publicly. Shinnick said he took action because of some comments officers posted on social media. Former Sergeant Jeremy May said the terminations involved a complaint that he and other officers had raised about the mayor's wife, Pam Shinnick, who had served as the town clerk.

"This all comes to personal vendetta from the mayor, and I wholeheartedly believe that." May also said, "We took a stand for transparency, and in result, every one of them has lost their jobs."

Town attorney Bryan Rayburn told the council that the officers' firings had not followed the town charter, which requires 30 days' notice before employees can be suspended or removed. The council then went into executive session to discuss matters of litigation.

Shinnick did not return to the meeting after the executive session, and Vice Mayor Shane Kornberg took over. The council passed a measure preventing the mayor from firing the officers for the next 30 days. Members also voted to table the rest of the meeting's agenda, which involved removing Shinnick, for the foreseeable future.