W.Va. Town Fires Entire Police Force Amid Evidence Dispute

The Town of Barrackville, West Virginia — a community of roughly 1,200 residents — has been left without local law enforcement after its entire police force was relieved of duty, following the police chief’s resignation and a sergeant’s allegation that the evidence room had been broken into. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is now handling all law enforcement calls in the town.

What Happened

The controversy erupted on July 7, when the Barrackville Police Department announced on Facebook that the “entire Barrackville Police Department has been relieved of duty by the Mayor and City Council, effective immediately.” The post stunned residents who had watched the department rebuild under Chief Zachary Freeburn, appointed just seven months earlier.

Freeburn had resigned on July 2, citing what he described as unlawful interference by the newly elected town council. In a resignation letter shared with local media, Freeburn alleged that a council member claimed direct authority over the police department — a directive he believed violated West Virginia law governing municipal police operations. He quoted the council member as saying, “If I give you a directive you follow it… I am in charge and what I say goes.”

Conflicting Accounts

The story has grown increasingly complicated as multiple parties offer conflicting versions of events.

According to WDTV, the town’s attorney released a statement saying the officers were NOT fired but placed on “temporary inactive status” while town leaders review department records. The statement claimed Freeburn told Council Member Alex Neville on July 1 that the evidence locker had been “cleaned out” under an order from the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.

However, Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Freeman told WDTV that his office made no such order. Freeman said Freeburn made the decision himself to clear the evidence locker and contacted the prosecutor’s office to determine what needed to be kept. According to Freeman, the prosecutor’s office recommended that all items could and should be destroyed, as they could no longer be used in court.

Sergeant Hunt, who was placed on inactive status alongside Officer Ethan Darden, alleged that he discovered the evidence room had been broken into. The town attorney acknowledged that town leaders entered the evidence vault after finding a list of combinations, but framed it as an inventory search for town-owned property — not a break-in.

State Police Not Investigating

The town attorney initially claimed the West Virginia State Police were investigating the department. However, both the Fairmont and Kingwood detachments told WDTV they have no involvement in the Barrackville case, directly contradicting the town’s claims.

Community Reaction

Residents have expressed frustration and confusion. An online petition to reinstate Freeburn describes him as having “quickly earned the trust, respect, and appreciation of our community through his professionalism, leadership, integrity, and commitment to keeping Barrackville safe.”

A scheduled town council meeting for July 7 was canceled, with the council citing “a lack of sufficient information regarding items listed under unfinished business” — a move that only deepened public suspicion.

Resident Isabella Pham captured the mood in an interview with the West Virginian Times: “I just think that the town right now is in a little bit of a mess. 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.”

What’s at Stake

At the heart of this dispute are fundamental questions about governance in small-town America: Can a town council member directly supervise police operations? Who has authority over evidence handling? And what happens when a newly elected body clashes with a police chief over operational control?

The legal question — whether individual council members can issue directives to the police chief — appears to be central to Freeburn’s resignation. Under West Virginia Code, municipal police departments typically operate under the authority of the mayor or a police commission, not individual council members.

What’s Next

With the Marion County Sheriff’s Office handling calls, Barrackville’s immediate safety needs are covered. But the long-term outlook remains uncertain. The police clerk has also resigned, and it is unclear whether the officers will be reinstated after the town’s review or whether the department will need to be rebuilt from scratch.

No independent investigation into the evidence room allegations has been confirmed. The prosecutor’s office has contradicted key claims made by the town attorney, and the State Police have declined to investigate. For a town of 1,200 residents seeking stability, the path forward remains anything but clear.