GRANTSVILLE, W.Va. — Embattled Calhoun County Sheriff J. Warren Basnett handed in his resignation Friday effective April 30.
Basnett’s letter, which he submitted to the county clerk, said he did so with a heavy heart. He was elected to serve a four-year term in November 2020.
The resignation comes just days after Calhoun County Prosecutor Nigel Jeffries announced he was going to file a petition to begin the process to have a three-judge panel remove Basnett from office.
“The actions of the sheriff rise to the level of mal-administration, possible misfeasance, neglect of duty and incompetence,” Jeffries told MetroNews earlier this week.
He planned to file the petition by the end of the day Friday.
Jeffries told MetroNews Friday he doesn’t regret announcing what he planned to do.
“As a prosecutor you have to make some tough decisions and that was a tough decision but it was a necessary decision,” Jeffries said.
Criticism of Basnett escalated after he decided to take weapons and drug paraphernalia to Calhoun County Middle-Senior High School on Career Day that was held on March 31. Jeffries said some postings on social media showed some students handling the guns creating a possible dangerous situation.
Basnett said the firing pins had been taken out of the guns.
The Calhoun County Commission will now be in charge of choosing the next sheriff. Commissioners have 30 days from the resignation’s effective date to do it. Jeffries said he’s hopeful for some strong candidates.
“We’re looking forward to screening some of the applicants. We hope that people will come forward that may have some interest in it, people that would have some prior law enforcement background,” he said.
Basnett is a Republican so the county commission has to choose a registered Republican to take his place until the next election.