Chaos has erupted in Barrackville, West Virginia, as the town’s police department claims its entire staff was fired, a statement vehemently denied by town officials who assert only two officers are on temporary leave pending an internal investigation into a suspicious evidence room breach. The controversy ignited when the Barrackville Police Department posted on Facebook that the Mayor and City Council had relieved the entire department of duty, a claim immediately refuated by the town’s general counsel, John Funkhouser, who stated the department’s assertion was “entirely inaccurate.” The situation escalated after then-Police Chief Zachary Freeburn resigned on July 1, reportedly after informing a council member that the evidence locker, containing confiscated firearms and cash, had been cleared out under an order from the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. The following day, Mayor Thomas Straight placed Officer David Hunt and Officer Ethan Darden on temporary inactive status due to alleged “lack of proper records and other documentation,” citing a need for the council to review departmental operations. Concerns about unauthorized remote access to police surveillance cameras, including those in the evidence room, were raised on July 6, leading council members to discover a list of safe combinations on a desk and find the evidence safe empty. Further compounding the disarray, a police cruiser was found unlocked and another contained an “unsecured rifle.” Officer Hunt, however, maintains he discovered the evidence room had been entered by others upon arriving at work on July 7 and accused town officials of the unauthorized entry, subsequently claiming “whistleblower” status and calling for a West Virginia State Police investigation. The town council’s July 7 meeting was canceled due to insufficient information, and in the interim, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office will handle Barrackville’s calls, while the Barrackville Police Department’s clerk has resigned.
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
