The entire police department of Barrackville, a small town in West Virginia, has been abruptly relieved of duty by the mayor and town council, just days after its police chief resigned. The department announced its dismissal in a Facebook post, thanking the community for its support, while the move sparked public backlash, allegations of government overreach and demands for greater transparency. The episode matters because it represents the apparent collapse of a small agency only months after town officials had celebrated efforts to rebuild it.

The department had appointed Zachary Freeburn as its new full-time chief in December 2025, publicising his training at the West Virginia State Police Academy, his criminal justice degree and his Drug Recognition Expert certification. Fewer than seven months later, Freeburn resigned "effective immediately", with Sergeant Hunt reportedly stepping in as officer-in-charge. According to the article's headline, the sergeant has alleged a break-in at the evidence room, though the available text does not set out further details of that claim or the council's reasons for dismissing the officers.