WV town's police department thrown into chaos by evidence room fiasco, but officials say no one was fired
Officials in one West Virginia town are pushing back on claims from its own police department that every single person in the agency was fired, saying the entire department is now under an internal review after allegations of a break-in in its evidence room.
In a July 7 Facebook post, the Barrackville Police Department wrote that the entire department was fired by city officials.
"Effective immediately, the entire Barrackville Police Department has been relieved of duty by the Mayor and City Council," the department wrote. "We are sincerely grateful for the support, trust, and encouragement shown to us by the Barrackville community throughout our service. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve and protect this town."
The announcement came after then-Barrackville Police Chief Zachary Freeburn resigned "effective immediately."
However, in a statement to Fox News Digital, Barrackville's general counsel, John Funkhouser, said the police department's claim of a mass firing is "entirely inaccurate." He said two officers were placed on temporary leave pending an internal investigation into an alleged break-in at the department's evidence room.
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Funkhouser said then-Chief Freeburn told council member Alex Neville on July 1 that the department's evidence locker was cleaned out under an order from the Marion County Prosecutor's Office, leaving firearms confiscated years ago along with $30 in abandoned cash. The following day, Freeburn resigned.
Officer David Hunt then reached out to Barrackville Mayor Thomas Straight regarding an "action plan" for the department. Due to an alleged lack of "proper records and other documentation," Straight placed Hunt and officer Ethan Darden on temporary inactive status to give the town's council "time to review all pertinent information regarding the operation of the Barrackville Police Department."
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Straight raised concerns on July 6 that unauthorized individuals could remotely access surveillance cameras at the police department, which included those housed in the evidence room. When several council members entered the evidence room, they found "a list of safe combinations on a desk and used one to open the safe, which turned up nothing."
One police cruiser was also found unlocked by the council members, along with another one that had an "unsecured rifle" inside. The officers were placed on leave the following day.
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Hunt responded by saying he was going to investigate the alleged break-in at the police department and wanted to claim "whistleblower" status, inviting the West Virginia State Police to investigate. After town officials met with the West Virginia State police, the Barrackville Police Department's clerk resigned.
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"The assertion that the entire police staff has been fired in entirely inaccurate. The Mayor and Council engaged in necessary acts of oversight to ensure the accountability of the Barrackville Police Department and confirm that the Department was complying with all rules and regulations under which the department should have been operating. The Town of Barrackville is committed to transparency, accountability and the safety of its residents," Funkhouser said in a statement.
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Hunt's account to WBOY differs from the town's version of events, telling the outlet that he discovered the evidence room had been entered by someone else when he got to work on July 7.
After accusing town officials of entering the evidence room, he and another officer, who consist of the entire town's police force, were fired.
In a Facebook post, the Barrackville Town Council announced that the July 7 meeting was canceled due to "a lack of sufficient information regarding items listed under unfinished business."
In the meantime, Marion County Sheriff Roger Cunningham told WBOY that their agency will handle calls within Barrackville.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Barrackville Police Department for comment.