West Virginia state police superintendent resigns amid probe

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice on Monday ordered a sweeping investigation of the State Police after he accepted the resignation of the company’s superintendent and revealed allegations of wrongdoing, together with {that a} video digicam was positioned inside a ladies’s locker room.

Justice stated he has appointed Jack Chambers, the deputy director of the Capitol police, as interim superintendent to exchange superintendent Jan Cahill, who had served underneath Justice because the governor took workplace in 2017. Justice stated Chambers will conduct “an all-out investigation” to exchange one which began final month underneath Cahill and was nearing its completion.

One focus of the investigation might be an allegation {that a} state police worker hid a video digicam within the ladies’s locker room at a State Police facility in Kanawha County.

“To me, it’s completely to not be tolerated in any method,” Justice stated.

Justice didn’t specify when it occurred however indicated it was a number of years in the past, maybe earlier than Cahill took over, and that the worker concerned later died of an obvious coronary heart assault whereas jogging.

Justice stated three troopers ultimately discovered a thumb drive “and from that they discovered the video.” At the very least one of many troopers “jerked the thumb drive out, threw it to the ground and began stomping on it. You may’t make these things up, are you able to? Now we have got regulation enforcement officers destroying proof.”

Justice acknowledged that “perhaps we received’t be capable of get well a lot data. Possibly many troopers are lengthy gone. Possibly there’s no technique to get well proof. However we must attempt, as a result of we’re higher than this.”

A separate incident that might be investigated concerned cash allegedly stolen by a trooper from a person at a on line casino within the Charleston suburb of Nitro. The governor additionally stated the investigation will look into an unspecified “lack of life” on Interstate 81 within the Jap Panhandle.

Within the on line casino incident, a person was enjoying a video machine with a trooper shut by, Justice stated. As the person bought as much as go to the restroom, an envelope with him fell out of his seat. The trooper picked up the envelope and saved the cash inside.

“Mainly any method you narrow it, that cash was stolen,” Justice stated.

The governor stated as a substitute of the State Police conducting a right away investigation into the incident, “we did not do this.” The governor didn’t specify whether or not the trooper was disciplined and stated the incident might be a part of Chambers’ investigation.

Justice didn’t present particulars of the I-81 incident, together with when it occurred. The governor stated he has seen video of the incident and it’s “very, very regarding.” An investigation is ongoing, “and Jack Chambers has to get into this as nicely,” Justice stated.

Chambers served a mixed 26 years with the Capitol police and State Police. The Capitol police, also called the Division of Protecting Companies, was established in 1999 to offer safety on the state Capitol Advanced in Charleston and different state services.

Justice stated he met with Cahill on the superintendent’s request Monday morning on the governor’s residence, when Cahill submitted his resignation.

“I stand with and behind our police on each problem as much as the time limit when it goes past what is correct,” Justice stated.

Earlier than changing into superintendent, Cahill served because the sheriff in Greenbrier County, the place the governor has a house and owns the luxury Greenbrier resort. Earlier than that, Cahill spent 23 years with the State Police in a wide range of roles. He began as a area trooper in 1989 and retired as troop commander captain in Beckley in 2012, the 12 months he was elected to the primary of two phrases as sheriff.