WELCH, W.Va. — A man who previously filed a lawsuit against a police chief has died of a suspected overdose.
The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office announced that Travis New was found dead on Thursday at his Welch home. Deputies responded to the residence at 71 Maple Terrace at around 12 p.m. and interacted with a woman who owned the house. According to deputies, the woman and her partner said they had woken up that day and found New, who was a friend of theirs, potentially dead.
WVVA-TV has reported that New previously filed a lawsuit against former Welch Police Chief Timothy Vineyard. The dispute stemmed from a May 31 traffic stop, in which Vineyard allegedly physically roughed up New. New was charged with obstructing an officer, but a judge recently dismissed that charge.
Vineyard resigned from his position as Welch Police Chief and now works in the Ieager Police Department.
McDowell County deputies said they found evidence of fentanyl and other drugs in the Welch house where New was found. Investigators said there’s no evidence of foul play and the death was likely a drug overdose. New’s body has been sent to the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy and an official determination of cause of death.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing.