DUNBAR, W.Va. — Dunbar Police Chief John Garten says the officer named in multiple lawsuits has handed in his letter of resignation.
Officer Zachary Winters had served within the department for the last five years. In those five years, Winters was named in two lawsuits, one of which resulted in the death of a suspect.
In 2022, Michael Scott Jr. died after lawyers say Winters fractured his scull while Scott was in custody. Winters was also named in a lawsuit from a 2023 incident where a man, Anthony Reese, claimed officers beat him at the police station. Reese claimed that the beating caused him to suffer brain damage and other psychological problems.
The two lawsuits reportedly cost the city $2.5 million.
According to Chief Garten, Winters was most recently involved in the crash of a police cruiser in Raleigh County a week ago.