McPherson ? Law enforcement officers forced their way into the home of a central Kansas police chief Tuesday night and arrested him on 17 felony charges related to claims he molested four young children.

McPherson County Sheriff Larry Powell said his deputies and members of the Kansas Highway Patrol took Inman Police Chief Mike Akins into custody at 8:25 p.m. They had to forcibly enter the home after Akins failed to answer the door.

“It’s tough, but I told my guys to treat him just like anybody else,” Powell told The Associated Press. “And they did. It’s hard to arrest one of your own.”

Akins, 38, joined the Inman Police Department in 2005 and became chief in January 2007. The department has two full-time employees, including the chief, and four part-time workers providing law enforcement services for the town of about 1,200 an hour’s drive north of Wichita.

Akins has been charged with one count of rape, 12 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, three counts of indecent solicitation and one count of lewd and lascivious behavior, all felonies. He also was charged with two misdemeanor battery counts.

A spokeswoman for the Kansas Attorney General said the victims include three girls and one boy, all 14 years old or younger when the alleged crimes occurred.

Powell said the Kansas Bureau of Investigation was contacted about a week ago to investigate Akins. His office did not take part in the investigation because it involved a top police department officer.

“This gives everyone else in law enforcement a big black eye,” Powell said.

Inman Mayor John O’Brien said he knew about the state’s investigation of Akins in advance and had prepared City Council members for Akins’ possible arrest.

The council voted early Wednesday morning to suspend Akins without pay and named the only other police officer, Bob Herron, as acting chief.

“This is just a shock, like it would be to any small community,” said O’Brien, who has served as mayor for nine years. “But we’ve replaced police chiefs before.”

Akins was being held Wednesday afternoon in McPherson County Jail on $250,000 bond after making a first appearance in McPherson County District Court earlier in the day. It was unclear whether he had hired a lawyer.