Aug. 8—In February, a civil service hearing began regarding accusations of misconduct against Westover Police Lt. Aaron Dalton who was ultimately dismissed from the department due to the allegations.
Westover Civil Service Commissioners Justin White, Jessica Thompson and Robert Berryman heard four days of testimony starting at the end of February and concluding May 8. Since then, both sides have been awaiting the decision of the commission. Westover Prosecutor Matthew T. Thorn said he believed it would be made sometime this week.
In the meantime, last week in the Monongalia County Circuit Court, Dalton and Defense Attorney Christian Riddell of Martinsburg filed a slightly revised version of a previous lawsuit naming the City of Westover as a defendant, as well as former Westover Police Chief Richard Panico and Westover PD Officer Zachary Fecsko.
Westover City Attorney Tim Stranko did not wish to comment on the allegations in the suit, which include violation of the West Virginia Whistleblower Law, intentional infliction of emotional distress and punitive damages against all three defendants.
Dalton claims to have reported many acts of wrongdoing by fellow officers to supervisory authorities in the department, but instead of disciplinary actions being taken against the alleged offenders the defendants engaged in "reprisal against him because of his disclosures of wrongdoing, " the suit states.
Because of the alleged illegal and improper actions of the defendants, the...
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