HOLLYWOOD — An Internal Affairs investigation of his alleged use of a homophobic slur has found no wrong-doing on the part of Assistant Police Chief Jimmy Jones, who was accused of making the insensitive remarks during a retirement party last year.

The investigation was ordered by former Police Chief Chad Wagner, after the Hollywood City Manager’s office received an anonymous letter on August 7, accusing Jones of telling the gathered crowd, “Chad [Wagner] wanted to be here tonight, but he heard there were too many fags coming.”

Jones was standing in for Wagner, who wasn’t in town to attend the retirement event. The assistant chief denied the allegations presented in the email, which had been sent five days after the alleged incident.

In an email to City Manager Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark, Jones called the charges “baseless” and said that he believed they had been made by a former Hollywood police officer whom he had transferred out of the department’s Homicide Unit.

Eight witnesses from the party—including five detectives and a union official—gave sworn statements as part of the IA investigation; none reported hearing Jones make the opprobrious comments.