NATCHEZ — A former Natchez police officer has been arrested on felony charges of embezzlement.

Eric Kaho, 30, 138 Washington Circle, allegedly embezzled more than $500 from the Metro Narcotics unit to which he was assigned.

Kaho was recently indicted by an Adams County grand jury. He turned himself in at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office Thursday.

Kaho resigned from the Natchez Police Department in January.

“He worked here for about seven years before this happened,” Natchez Police Chief Mike Mullins said. “We were shocked and saddened. He had done some excellent police work during his career.”

Mullins said investigations into missing money began in 2007, while Kaho was taking a leave from work due to a knee injury.

“In a routine check of money he was entrusted with, some of it was discovered missing,” Mullins said. “We notified the Attorney General’s office for an outside investigation.”

Since the officer was well known by local authorities, Mullins wanted an outside group to handle the case, he said.

The pool of money Kaho allegedly embezzled from included seized drug money and a fund Metro Narcotics used to purchase drugs from suspected drug dealers. The funds are audited often, Mullins said.

Just before Kaho was scheduled to return to work at NPD in October, he reportedly accidentally shot himself in the chest at his apartment while cleaning his gun. The bullet grazed his heart and he spent more than a month in the hospital recovering.

Kaho was released shortly after his arrest Thursday on a promise to appear in court.

Kaho joins a list of NPD officers arrested that includes Willie B. Jones in 1997, who was charged with felony obstruction of justice for reportedly paying a fellow officer not to pursue a drug charge against a friend, and Keith Fiola who was charged with bribery.