6/06/2007 Former Grantsville Volunteer Policeman Under Investigation

 This is a story about a volunteer police officer who was giving a concealed weapons course in the area using false credentials. This person was brought to our attention a few months ago when it was discovered that he had posted a MYSPACE page with questionable content. With his motto being “kill ’em all and let God sort ’em out”, and something to the effect of “call the best, call SWAT”, his character was called into question – after all, he WAS only a volunteer cop, he later removed the offensive items from his myspace page.

I seriously question the motives of these courses to begin with. I recently saw a poster advertising these classes. It was printed on a TARGET. No, not a bullseye target, but the outline of a human body, with a scoring system which gave the most points for shoot-to-kill hits in the head and torso area and least points for hits in legs, arms, and hands… I found the poster to be quite offensive, as anyone with a mind can see it’s intention is to encourage the death of another human being.

Who FINDS and HIRES these people??? What criteria must a “volunteer” police officer meet for heavens sake? Any? Or do their names just get pulled out of a hat because they express an interest in guns and power?

It’s high time that police officers, who are charged with the responsibility of “protecting” the public, and who are given the power to carry weapons and use them at their discretion, are held to a HIGHER standard. In fact ANY police officer should be held to a higher standard than your average citizen who generally has no training in such matters, and definately does not have the power that a police officer is given to effect another person’s life.

This article was taken from the HurHerald on 6-6-07

There is another problem with police creditability in Calhoun County.

A former volunteer police officer with the Grantsville Police Department is now under investigation by the State Police for allegedly using false credentials.

Sgt. C. Shane Dellinger has either been removed from duty or resigned, after he reportedly gave a concealed weapons class using credentials he did not have.

The Wirt County Sheriff is also looking into the matter, since Wirt residents reportedly took the class.

Calhoun Sheriff Carl Ballengee said Sgt. Dellinger did not produce adequate credentials showing he was qualified to give the class.

“He presented a certificate that was not proper,” said Ballengee, and “I contacted Charleston, who said he was not certified.”

Ballengee said he advised Dellinger he would not issue concealed weapons permits under such conditions, stating the class was not sanctioned by the Calhoun Sheriff’s Department.

The number of individuals who took the $35 class has not been made available.

Dellinger, who was given the rank of sergeant by Grantsville Chief of Police J. D. Nicholson, reportedly had problems while serving as a sheriff’s deputy in Braxton County.

Nicholson indicated problems with volunteers have been corrected.

Braxton Sheriff Howard Carpenter indicated at the time Dellinger was on personal leave related to stress he was suffering from a divorce.