[UPDATE] Feb. 24, 2012 - 6:22pm

Eyewitness News has obtained a copy of an apology letter Gretna Police Chief Brian Bess wrote to Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell.

It's in response to a hit and run accident back in November in which Bess was cited for lying to law enforcement.

Bess was riding in the vehicle involved in the hit and run.

When police tracked the car down to arrest the driver, Bess told them they weren't involved.

In the apology letter Bess says: "My only intention that night was to prevent a bad situation for one of my life long friends, not to hinder your deputies from conducting a proper investigation: thinking with my heart instead of my head."

Gretna resident Francisco Chambers says, "He's a very good police out here in Gretna and this is a small town. He made a mistake and I don't feel like it was a big, big mistake."

Bess was cited with a misdemeanor traffic violation for lying to law enforcement.

To read the entire apology letter, click on the tab.

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[UPDATE] Feb. 24, 2012 -

See below for copy of a letter of apology written by Brian Bess, addressed to Sheriff Larry Campbell.

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Gretna Police Chief Brian Bess was given a misdemeanor traffic citation for lying to deputies about a November 20th crash in Tallahassee.

It all started at Tennessee Street convenience store around 4 a.m.

A man and woman say a man backed into their car with his silver truck then left.

Case documents show that driver was Ike Mincy who Bess calls his best friend in the report.

A Leon County deputy traced the truck back to Mincy's home where they found Mincy, Bess and a woman.

The report says, "Both Ike and Brian appeared to be very Intoxicated."

The deputy says there was black transfer paint on the silver truck.

When Bess was questioned at the home, court records show, Bess said they hadn't been driving anywhere. He said he'd been home asleep.

Bess later changed his story and said Ike "may or may not have hit something something tonight."

The woman told the deputy all three of them were in the truck when Mincy hit the other vehicle.

Bess later admitted he was in the truck.

However LCSO says surveillance video from the store shows Bess getting into the truck after the collision.

Bess is still full duty with the police department.

Gretna's city manager, Antonio Jefferson, released this statement:

“The City has recently been made aware of a traffic incident which occurred on November 20, 2011 involving Chief Brian Bess. At this time the City is awaiting the outcome of the court case to determine
what, if any, disciplinary action is warranted. In light of the court’s ongoing consideration of this case, the City will not make any additional statement until such time as the matter has been fully disposed of by the court.”