WVPB looked at what did and didn’t get the governor’s signature and we continue our series looking back at the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic four years after its start.
We also take a look at the Republican primary race for a U.S. Senate seat, as well as updates from the state police on investigations into sexual misconduct.
On this West Virginia Week, the deadline for the governor to sign or veto bills from the state legislature’s regular session before they automatically become law was this week, and WVPB looked at what did and didn’t get the governor’s signature.
We continue our series looking back at the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on retail and outdoor recreation four years after its start.
We also take a look at the Republican primary race for a U.S. Senate seat, as well as updates from the state police on investigations into sexual misconduct.
Chris Schulz is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Randy Yohe.
It’s been a year since allegations of illicit recordings of cadets and other women at the West Virginia State Police barracks launched federal and state investigations into the law enforcement department.
In the aftermath, Col. J.C. Chambers was named superintendent of the state police. He spoke with reporter Chris Schulz to provide some updates on the investigations, as well as to discuss reforms he has implemented during his tenure.
It’s been a year since allegations of illicit recordings of cadets and other women at the West Virginia State Police barracks launched federal and state investigations into the law enforcement department.
In the aftermath, Col. J.C. Chambers was named superintendent of the state police. He spoke with reporter Chris Schulz to provide some updates on the investigations, as well as to discuss reforms he has implemented during his tenure.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Schulz: Can you tell me a little bit about your tenure so far? We’re approaching the one year mark?
Chambers: It’s been a long year, I would have to tell you that. One year since I’ve been back to the state police. Been a very trying year, but it’s also been a very successful year. I feel we have great people in this organization, whether that be troopers you see running up down the road every day answering calls or our civilian staff. We have a great mixture of civilians and sworn members in the West Virginia State Police, which is one of the reasons and my love for the state police to come back, as asked by the governor’s office, as superintendent.
Schulz: We’ve been talking about this timeline of a year. And I want to be clear, we’re talking about the allegations of recordings in the women’s barracks, potentially of underage minors, as well as some allegations and accusations of sexual misconduct and abuse. As I understand, this has been under investigation now for almost an entire year. Can you tell me a little bit about why these investigations are ongoing and have not been concluded yet?
Chambers: There were numerous internal investigations opened up as quickly as we could once we figured out what direction we needed to go in. There were federal investigations opened up working with the US Attorney’s Office and the FBI. One of those is still pending. I can’t comment on that one. But the other ones, I have a Department of Justice letter that I’ll read to you stating that they no longer consider the West Virginia State Police or any of its members to be a target. And like I say several members, names that were out or come up in investigations are no longer with the State Police. We’re just we’re moving forward the best we can. We’ve changed everything from training hours at Academy to accountability of hours. We put in a $450,000 security system camera system in the state police academy. Just for checks and balances. We’re working hand in hand with a lot of other state agencies now. Our purchasing and our purchasing accountability agreements have changed drastically. We work with everybody trying to improve to make our agency better and make sure we don’t have anything like this happen in the future.
I’ve got a letter here, dated from Will Thompson. He’s the U.S. Attorney of the Southern District. And it basically reads like this:
‘This letter is to inform you that consistent with Justice Manual 911-155, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District no longer considers former Trooper Mike Miller to be a target of an ongoing civil rights investigation in the Southern District of West Virginia. Additionally, the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District no longer considers the West Virginia State Police or any of its members to be targets in an ongoing investigation in the Southern District of West Virginia, involving a camera being placed in the West Virginia State Police locker room, a claim of religious persecution at the West Virginia State Police Academy and the misuse of the West Virginia State Police fleet.’
Chambers: Which is our cars and our vehicles and things like that. It says:
‘Please be advised this, this letter does not preclude the United States Attorney’s Office from re-instituting an investigation into the allegations detailed above and identifying any member as a target should circumstances change. The US Attorney’s Office Southern District appreciates the cooperation from you…
Chambers: Which was me
…the superintendent and the West Virginia State Police to have provided this office and the federal investigators in the investigations of potential wrongdoing by its members. The West Virginia State Police has been and continues to be a vital partner to the US Attorney’s Office and look forward to continuing to work with you and other members of the State Police.’
Chambers: Signed by the US Attorney.
Schulz: What possible action needs to be taken to ensure that these investigations are concluded in a timely manner. It sounds like you’re waiting for external factors. If I understand you.
Chambers: You’re right on point here, Chris. And also that we’re looking into this stuff as well. We’ll look into stuff even after they conclude what their findings are whether they decide to move forward with something or not. And if it’s something administrative, then we’ll handle it from that point on.
I know a year is not a long time. I mean, it seems like five years to be honest with you. But we have completed a lot of this stuff within a year. And there’s stuff that we can control and get done and I feel that we’ve done it as aggressively and as fast as we can. I mean my senior staff and the members in this agency are ready for this stuff to be done, completed so they can go about their jobs and feel right about the West Virginia State Police. I think it’s changing, I think it is. Our people are working. They’re out. They know they have the support from headquarters and doing this job day to day when you’re out in the field, you want to feel you are supported when you’re out here dealing with what we have to deal with daily.
Schulz: I would like to hear more about the changes that you’ve implemented.
Chambers: Culture is what members understand as an acceptable behavior. I think for me coming back, once you’re held accountable, I want them to do their job, but also want them to feel secure in knowing they’re going to be backed out here when they’re trying to do the right thing, Chris. They have to have that, they have to have that feeling. I think it is coming back. Culture’s what a community perceives as acceptable. We in the state police feel we have support in West Virginia, they don’t want to see things like this happening.
As far as changing culture, putting in a camera system, making the changes we have at the academy. We’ve been around 104 years, Chris, and to sit here and tell you, we haven’t had to make changes through that104 years, we’d be lying to you. But to change your culture overnight, it’s been around 104 years. You want to try to change things as positively as you can in a progressive, positive way. And I think that’s what we’re trying to do all the way down to our people reporting to the academy.
I’ve been asked in the past, well, how are females going to do when they come to the academy now as a cadet or a basic officer? Well, a couple things we’ve done. We put a full time female officer supervisor at the academy, they’re engaged with her. She’s doing a great job over there. The deputy superintendent meets with any female coming on that property up there when they report, then midstream, they’re talked to and at the end of their training they’re asked questions to make sure that they felt comfortable there. We have expectations for them. But they also have an outlet if they need to talk to someone or need to speak with someone. We’ve implemented things like that, that, now it’s just a normal procedure or protocol that we do.
On this West Virginia Morning, it has been a year since allegations of illicit recordings of cadets and other women at the West Virginia State Police barracks launched federal and state investigations into the law enforcement department. We speak with the superintendent of state police for an update.
On this West Virginia Morning, it has been a year since allegations of illicit recordings of cadets and other women at the West Virginia State Police barracks launched federal and state investigations into the law enforcement department.
In the aftermath, Col. J.C. Chambers was named superintendent of the state police. He spoke with Chris Schulz to provide some updates on the investigations, as well as to discuss reforms he has implemented during his tenure.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
One of the troopers involved in the Martinsburg shooting Sunday has lost part of his leg.
Updated on Tuesday Dec. 19, 2023 at 11:48 a.m.
One of the troopers involved in the Martinsburg shooting Sunday has lost part of his leg.
West Virginia State Police Maj. James Mitchell has verified that part of Trooper Abe Bean’s left leg had to be amputated at the Inova Fairfax Medical Center in Virginia.
Mitchell said Bean was shot in the chest, in the shoulder and took two rounds in the leg. Doctors had to amputate his left leg above the knee. Bean remains in critical condition. Mitchell said Trooper Cadin Spessert, who was shot once in the Sunday night incident, has been released from the hospital.
Mitchell said that Bean’s father, a retired state trooper, posted a message on Facebook that said his son’s first surgery lasted for eight hours from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday. Mitchell said the amputation came after that.
Mitchell verified that dozens of West Virginia troopers and state police from Virginia have been at the hospital to show support. Mitchell said State Police Superintendent Col. Jack Chambers visited Bean Monday. There was also a prayer service led by state police current and former chaplains.
Updated on Monday Dec. 18, 2023 at 2:25 p.m.
As of Monday afternoon, after being shot four times, Trooper A.A. Bean remained hospitalized in critical but stable condition. Trooper C.D. Spessert was shot once and was stable.
West Virginia State Police Chief of Staff Major Jim Mitchell said he is hopeful Trooper Bean will survive.
“We hope that he’s going to survive it just fine,” Mitchell said. “It’s just at this point and early into the treatment, you just don’t know how things could transpire for good or perhaps, to make things more complex, but we do appreciate the prayers.”
Mitchell said when Tobias Ganey refused to open his door or come outside after an extended time of negotiations, the troopers had no choice but to gain entry. Mitchell said that’s when gunfire began.
“We won’t try to shoot someone unless we just have to,” Mitchell said. “In this case, as soon as the door was open, they received fire.”
Ganey died at the scene. Mitchell said the warrant was apparently for Ganey committing battery against his neighbor. An incident investigation remains underway.
Original Story
Two Eastern Panhandle State Police troopers are in the hospital after a shots-fired incident late Sunday evening in Martinsburg.
A State Police press release notes Trooper A.A. Bean was shot four times and Trooper C.D. Spessert was shot once while attempting to serve an arrest warrant on a battery charge to 60-year-old Tobias Ganey.
Just before 11 p.m., police say Ganey refused to open the door of his home. The troopers communicated with Ganey for an extended time, and finally made entry into the home to make the arrest. Ganey immediately began firing his handgun at the troopers, who returned fire.
Ganey died at the scene.
Trooper Bean underwent surgery for serious injuries; Trooper Spessert was treated and admitted for observation.
Both Troopers are in stable condition this morning and the investigation is ongoing.
Two people from the crash were life-flighted by air ambulance to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown. No word yet on the extent of the crash victims’ injuries.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
West Virginia State Police are investigating a helicopter crash Friday in Preston County.
Preston County Emergency Management confirms two people from the crash were life-flighted by air ambulance to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown. No word yet on the extent of the crash victims’ injuries.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, “a Bell 206B helicopter crashed near Veterans Memorial Highway in Terra Alta, West Virginia, around 11:40 a.m. local time on Friday, July 21. Two people were on board. The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate.”
The helicopter crew members involved in the accident were contracted by FirstEnergy from the GeoDigital company for utility work.
FirstEnergy released this statement:
“The helicopter crew members involved in today’s accident were contracted by FirstEnergy to complete inspections of the company’s transmission lines. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were injured and their families.”
On Saturday, July 22, West Virginia State Police released the following statement:
“On 7/21/23 at approximately 11:20 am, Troopers were notified by Preston County 911 of a helicopter crash. The crash occurred in the area of Caddell Mountain, near Terra Alta, WV. Troopers were the first to arrive on-scene and began extricating the two occupants. One of the individuals could not be extricated. Troopers remained with the second occupant until additional help arrived and the other individual could be safely removed. The occupants were then transported to Ruby Memorial and treated for minor injuries. Troopers were unable to determine why the 1979, Bell helicopter, crashed. Troopers secured the scene until the FAA arrived and assumed control of the scene. Further investigation will be conducted by the FAA.”
In the governor’s Wednesday briefing, Chambers addressed questions about ongoing state police investigations, including the extent of hidden camera recordings in the police academy women’s locker room.
West Virginia State Police (WVSP) Col. Jack Chambers is no longer the “interim” superintendent of the agency. He is now the full-time superintendent, according to Gov. Jim Justice.
Chambers came over from the Capitol Police four months ago after former WVSP Superintendent Jan Cahill resigned amid a flurry of charges of trooper wrongdoing.
In the governor’s Wednesday briefing, Chambers addressed questions about ongoing state police investigations, including the extent of hidden camera recordings in the police academy women’s locker room. He said he has sent letters of apology to 71 women, all law enforcement officers filing lawsuits, who have used that women’s locker room in academy training.
“We did send an apology letter out to any female that may have been victimized by a hidden camera in the locker room,” Chambers said. “Again, unacceptable. I said that on day one.”
Among recent changes, Chambers said state police are installing a new 60 camera security system, have made an academy curriculum adjustment to provide a better educational environment, and leadership will have open communications and regular meetings with all female academy trainees.
“We’ve upgraded our female barracks with in-house female staff members,” he said. “It’s actually a full-time sergeant and a female who went to Academy. We’ve had females over the years but that is her main job now.”
Chambers also said, after a number of retirements, transfers and reassignments within his four-month tenure, he’s also fired four troopers.
“We’ve separated employment with four troopers that were failing to meet the standard and expectations of the state police,” Chambers said.
Chambers said he’s changing daily activity reports on hours worked and approved. He said a first line supervisor has to approve any hours worked.
“No matter what your rank is, it goes to the next level supervisor for approval,” he said.
He said the FBI will teach the academy civil rights class, emphasizing the seriousness of acting under “the color of law.”
Regarding specifics in the multiple WVSP investigations that have been ongoing for months, Chambers said he is still limited on what he can reveal at this time.
He said the state charges for domestic battery on an accused trooper is in the hands of the Ritchie County Prosecutor. He noted that alleged trooper rapes are currently under investigation by federal investigators, along with civil litigation.
He also said the hidden camera at the police academy is currently subject to federal and internal investigations and both of those are in action now.
“Our academy is not completely broke,” Chambers said. “Some would think that, but it is not. Staff changes have been made. I can say the camera systems are in the process of being upgraded to the top of the line so we will know who’s there and who’s not.”
Chambers said he is in the process of working with the governor’s office to create a WVSP/Marshall University Health Line.
“A line to call in if someone at the academy is having a problem or an issue,” Chambers said. “We want them to have someone to speak to if they feel the need.”
