WESTOVER, W.Va. — The Westover City Council on Monday did not approve an effort to start an independent investigation into claims against Mayor Dave Johnson.
Councilmember Ralph Mullins has state he has evidence Johnson obstructed justice relating to a police officer facing multiple lawsuits over civil rights violations.
“If the [U.S. Attorney’s Office for the] Northern District of West Virginia, West Virginia State Police, the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office, any law enforcement agency or independent investigative body contacts me and wants that documentation, I will gladly provide it,” Mullins said.
Mullins accused Johnson of failing to address multiple actions by Lt. Aaron Dalton as well as clarification from the Monongalia County prosecutor to pause investigations into the officer. There have been multiple claimed incidents involving Dalton, including him making racist remarks to co-workers as well as having sexual intercourse with a woman while on duty and later harassing her. Dalton has been on paid administrative leave for more than a year.
“I have lost confidence in the leadership of this city and I welcome Mayor Johnson’s announcement he will not seek re-election,” resident Virginia Altman-Moore said. “I think the other council members who have quietly allowed the situation to fester should follow his lead.”
Councilmember Duane Tatar said he would not second the motion without sufficient evidence. He argued the effort to investigate Johnson’s actions is being driven by arguments in public spaces and online.
“What we need to do as a council and a city is to learn from what we’ve seen in these videos and make sure these types of incidents never happen again,” he added regarding Dalton.
The city council will next meet Nov. 2 at 6 p.m.