Dunbar police officer Zachary Winters resigns following lawsuits, vehicle crash

Winters was also named in a lawsuit stemming from a 2023 incident in which Anthony Reese claimed officers beat him at the police station, allegedly resulting in brain damage and ongoing psychological issues.

More recently, Winters was involved in a single-vehicle crash in Raleigh County around 6 p.m. on July 17. According to West Virginia Turnpike State Police, the crash occurred at the Mossy Exit entrance ramp onto Interstate 77 North at the 60-mile marker. The police cruiser struck a concrete barrier. No injuries were reported.

Garten said he has not yet received the official crash report from the WVSP but confirmed that the vehicle was not totaled and can be repaired. He also noted that Winters was not using the cruiser for official police business at the time of the incident.

"Our policy is clear," Garten said. "You cannot use your police vehicle for anything personal unless I or Deputy Chief [Brian] Griggs authorizes it."

Garten would not comment when asked if Winters resigned to avoid disciplinary action.

A culture shift at the DPD

Attorneys Dante’ diTrapano and Jesse Forbes, who represented plaintiffs in the excessive force lawsuits, welcomed the news of Winters’ departure.

“It is rewarding as civil rights lawyers to know we played some role in effectuating change for the community. In the cases involving Officer Winters, he cost the city and their insurers over $3 million dollars,� the attorneys said in a joint statement. “While we don’t know all of the reasons why Winters is no longer a Dunbar Police officer, we can tell you based on the lawsuits we pursued against him, Dunbar is a safer place and the community can begin to heal.�

While Garten is unsure of what's next for Winters' career, he is hopeful for the department's future.

"I think Dunbar had been under a dark cloud for a few years ... but we are definitely not under that same dark cloud," he said.

Garten pointed to a shift in mindset and morale he's observed across the department in the last nine months he's been chief.

"My biggest challenge was making sure every member of the police dept was working for the same common goal," he said. "Everybody that's actively working right now on the police department has a whole different mindset. Everybody is doing exactly what the citizens of Dunbar want them to do — being professional and working within the color of the law."

FOIA responses from the City of Dunbar also suggest the department has made efforts to improve de-escalation training. Garten confirmed that several officers are undergoing training in de-escalation and defensive tactics. They will develop a new lesson plan to train the entire department this fall.

"To move forward in law enforcement in this day and age, you have to evolve and you have to stay current in the new and updated trends. [Training] helps us as officers and helps us deal with the public," Garten said.

The department currently has four vacancies. Garten encouraged prospective recruits to participate in the next round of applicant testing in September.

Winters' resignation was first reported by WCHS-TV.