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Updated: 10:50 AM Aug 9, 2007
Trooper's Suicide Raises Allegations, Ex-Troopers Speak Out
The suicide death of Corporal Marlo Gonzales has prompted hundreds of comments here on WSAZ.com, and has pushed two former troopers to speak out. Posted: 1:14 AM Aug 2, 2007 Reporter: Mike Waterhouse & Jennifer Cottrill Email Address: mike.waterhouse@wsaz.com; jennifer.cottrill@wsaz.com |
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979 Comments 
Photos 
For complete video coverage of this story, scroll down to the bottom of this story (but above the comments).
UPDATE: 8/9/07
More West Virginia State Troopers have resigned in two of the three years Colonel Dave Lemmon has served as superintendent than in any other single year in the last decade, statistics show. Click here for the complete story.
UPDATE: 8/3/07
A trooper who shot and killed himself more than two weeks ago will not be forgotten. A special team of four people is now looking into why Corporal Marlo Gonzales committed suicide.
Since his death: two former troopers have spoken out and more than 800 comments have been posted here on WSAZ.com -- accusing leaders at the West Virginia State Police of pushing Gonzales too far.
Governor Joe Manchin requested that Jim Spears, Secretary of Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, create this team. It's going to be studying trooper suicides, and is looking to see what other similar states are doing.
Team members:
- Carl Berlin, Retired West Virginia State Police Lieutenant
- Dr. John Linton, Professor & vice chair of the WVU School of Medicine (Charleston), and chiar of the governor's behavior health commission.
- John Bianconi, Commissioner of the bureau for behavior health (under DHHR)
- Joe Thornton - Deputy Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety.
So far, we're told some complaints have come in to the governor's office and the office of military affairs and public safety, but most remain anonymous.
WSAZ will continue to follow this story.
UPDATE: 8/1/07:
The suicide death of Corporal Marlo Gonzales has prompted hundreds of comments here on WSAZ.com, and has pushed two former troopers to speak out.
On Wednesday, former West Virginia State Trooper Steven Smith talked with NewsChannel 3's Jennifer Cottrill. He says he was abused by the agency -- and accuses the administration of creating the kind of stress that could have led to Gonzales' suicide.
"We're all supposed to be on the same team, but they treat you like you just committed the worst crime," said Smith. It's supposed to be a brotherhood and it's not."
WSAZ spoke with Colonel Dave Lemmon over the phone Wednesday. He says he doesn't want to comment on what he calls anonymous allegations.
WEB EXTRA: scroll down to the video player to watch the unedited interview with Smith.
UPDATE: 7/26/07
We have new information about the allegations posted on our webchannel about the West Virginia State Police.
More than 500 comments have been submitted to WSAZ.com after the suicide death of Corporal Marlo Gonzales. Many of the comments blame the administration at the state police for not doing enough to help Gonzales.
We talked with the office that oversees the state police Thursday -- and a spokesperson tells us the office has received some of the same complaints, but all have been anonymous. We're told someone needs to go on the record in order for action to be taken.
Colonel Lemmon, who is the target of many of the accusations, did not want to do an interview with us when we contacted him earlier this week.
UPDATE: 7/25/07
Governor Manchin is calling for those who want change to come forward. That's what he told WSAZ in an interview Wednesday morning when we asked him about the allegations posted on this story.
"I know you hear rumors and blaming," said Manchin. "I have not seen any evidence, whatsoever; but, we're going to work through it to make the system better."
Governor Manchin says not one person has called his office to complain.
"No one should ever be anonymous. If you have a constructive complaint, a way to make things better, please come forward. People should not have to work or live in fear. It's not how this government is run, not how this administration operates, and I won't tolerate it in any branches of our administration," said Manchin.
Former trooper Jason Gilley spoke to WSAZ regarding the way he was treated when he was working for the West Virginia State Police.
Gilley says the current administration at the WVSP forced him to resign in January. He said he was even threatened physically by one of his supervisors.
From the Associated Press:
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Governor Manchin has asked a cabinet secretary and the State Police to study the issue of suicide among police officers in the wake of a trooper's death last week.
The governor wants Military Affairs and Public Safety Secretary Jim Spears to see if other states have grappled with the problem. Manchin also wants to know whether there are any procedures that can be used to reduce the risk of another suicide.
Two state troopers have committed suicide in West Virginia since 1999. Some studies suggest that the suicide rate among police officers is three times higher than that of the general population.
Last week, 39-year-old Corporal Marlo Gonzales was found dead in his cruiser from a bullet fired from his service weapon.
On July Second, 1999, State Police Senior Trooper Rodney Robinson shot and killed his former girlfriend before turning his gun on himself.
After Gonzales' death, State Police Colonel David Lemmon said police were at a loss to explain why the trooper might have taken his own life.
UPDATE: 7/24/07
As a result of the comments and allegations posted about this story and the West Virginia State Police, WSAZ contacted the West Virginia State Police and Governor Joe Manchin's office.
Colonel Lemmon says his thoughts are with the family of Corporal Gonzales at this point, but he did not wish to speak on camera regarding the comments posted on WSAZ.com.
A spokesperson for Governor Joe Manchin, Lara Ramsburg, says Governor Manchin asked Secretary Jim Spears, head of military affairs and public safety, to look into the matter -- and to look into what's happening on a national level with state police, troopers, and law enforcement in general.
Stay with WSAZ.com as we hear more from the investigation.
ORIGINAL STORY
West Virginia State Police are investigating a deadly shooting involving one of their own.
Police say Corporal Marlo Gonzales shot and killed himself Wednesday night near his home on Sycamore Road in Hurricane. His father-in-law found his body inside his police cruiser, dressed in uniform.
State Police say he shot himself with his service revolver.
The investigation is in the preliminary stages, but troopers did say he shot himself with his service revolver.
Gonzales was a 13-year veteran of the department. He was stationed at the Clay County Detachment, but was recently assigned to the detachment in South Charleston.
Colonel D.L. Lemmon says he was a friendly guy and this has taken people who work with him by surprise.
Troopers say Gonzales was on duty at the time of the shooting. Corporal Gonzales has a wife and three children. He was 39 years old.
Stay with WSAZ.com for the latest information.
COMPLETE VIDEO COVERAGE:
EDITOR'S NOTE: Comments below posted by "Mike Waterhouse" were not written by Mike Waterhouse. They were sent to him from others via e-mail -- and he posted them in the comments section. Our software automatically adds the username of the person adding the comments -- and does not allow us to change the "from" name.
Latest Comments
what a crock you thing Joe is going to do anything? look at what happened at WVU and his daughter who do you think is the king of the good ol boy's. Vote Russ Weeks & show Joe we don't approve of his good ol boy network.
[ Report Abuse ]
The self-imposed code of silence by troopers is a factor. They see so much abuse of the system by criminals, government officials and fellow troopers and are not allowed to speak out about it. It's frowned on by troopers to "snitch" on one of their own. When this attitude is gone we should see improvements.
[ Report Abuse ]
Another WV State Trooper committed suicide at 10:30 pm last night 2/12/2008
[ Report Abuse ]
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