The entire police department in Barrackville, West Virginia, has been disbanded after a dispute that a former sergeant claims involved a break-in at the department's evidence room. The Barrackville Town Council and Mayor Tom Straight relieved all officers of duty, effective immediately, according to a Facebook post from the Barrackville Police Department.
The situation escalated when a former sergeant, identified as Sgt. Hunt, reported finding the evidence room compromised on Tuesday morning. Hunt stated he immediately notified Mayor Straight and the town council. He alleged that council members had previously expressed a desire to conduct an inventory of the evidence room without police present and that a council member admitted to possessing a set of police keys.
Following his accusations against town government officials regarding the evidence room, Hunt and the department's sole other officer were removed from active duty. The department's police clerk also resigned, leaving Barrackville without any police staff.
Hunt indicated he intends to seek whistleblower protection. His departure and the firings occurred less than a week after Police Chief Zachary Freeburn resigned, citing ongoing conflicts with the town council over departmental control.
Marion County Sheriff Roger Cunningham confirmed that deputies will continue to respond to calls in Barrackville, a town of approximately 1,288 residents, until a new police department is established. A resident, Isabella Pham, expressed a desire for stability and transparency, stating, "We’ve gone through a lot of different people, and I’m just hoping that at the end of this, we can get a little bit of stability, transparency and security, and get back to having a stronger community versus a town of pitchforks and torches."