BARRACKVILLE, W.V. — The two officers who comprised a West Virginia police department have been relieved of duty after one of them reported that the evidence room had been broken into, WBOY reported.
The now-former sergeant of the Barrackville Police Department told WBOY that he called a meeting with the mayor and town council after seeing evidence of the break-in the morning of July 7. The sergeant noted that the council had previously expressed an interest in inventorying the department without any officers present.
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One of the councilmembers also confessed to taking police keys, the sergeant said.
The sergeant stated that when he alleged that a government employee could be behind the break-in, he and the other officer were immediately placed on inactive status. A Facebook post from the department confirmed that all officers have since been relieved of duty.
The police clerk also quit, and the department’s chief had resigned a week prior. The sergeant stated that now-former chief Zachary Freeburn resigned due to disputes with the council about overreach.
Freeburn also contacted WBOY, sharing a letter he wrote for a canceled town council meeting. In the letter, he thanked residents for their support and apologized for his abrupt departure.
Freeburn alleged that the city council informed him that a member would be directly overseeing the department and would be making changes to “policy, procedure and numerous directives” as well as changes to daily work life, including hours.
“Trying to be professional and realizing I do not know everything, I offered an open discussion into potential changes as I am always open to bettering myself and the Department,” Freeburn stated. “This was immediately shut down, and I was told, and this is a rough quote, but it is what I remember, ‘If I give you a directive, you follow it. This is not an open discussion. I am in charge and what I say goes.’”
The sergeant who spoke with WBOY has notified city leaders that he is seeking whistleblower protections.
Barrackville has an estimated population of around 1,200, according to the 2020 census.
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