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Greenbrier County police chief fired; no reason given

RAINELLE, W.Va. — The town of Rainelle needs a new chief of police.

J.P. Stevens said he received a letter of notice sent to him by the mayor and city council, informing him of the termination. The reason for the dismissal has not been publicly stated either by Stevens or by local government officials.

J.P. Stevens

Stevens first was hired as the town’s police chief in 2005 by then-Mayor Eugene McKenzie and later resigned, accusing McKenzie of ordering him to harass the mayor’s political opponents. The controversy later became the subject of an investigation by the West Virginia Ethics Commission. The case was largely unresolved when McKenzie died in 2013.

Stevens was rehired by newly elected Mayor Andrea Pendleton in 2011.

A replacement for Stevens has not been announced.