A 15-year Dunbar police officer has been suspended with pay after being named in a federal civil lawsuit. Mayor Scott Elliott said Lt. Chad Shafer has been sidelined after being accused of violating a woman’s constitutional rights, sexual harassment and battery. According to the lawsuit, Shafer was on duty and in uniform when the incident allegedly happened in March 2022 after he offered an intoxicated woman a ride home in his cruiser. Eyewitness News reported the suit alleges after arriving at the woman’s home, Shafer sexually assaulted her both outside and inside the home, only stopping when he received a radio call. The mayor said the police department is conducting an internal investigation, but said he would prefer an outside investigation be handled either by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office or West Virginia State Police.