Freedom of Information Act request shows trooper acted imporperly during Martinsburg arrest

Newly-obtained documents from West Virginia State Police provide details about what went wrong when a schizophrenic man died in State Police custody on the side of Interstate 81 in Martinsburg last year. Three state troopers reported a “struggle” with 45-year-old Edmond Exline and they were cleared of all criminal and administrative wrongdoing. Eyewitness News reported on a 55-page internal report on the incident, received through a Freedom of Information Act request, and said it revealed there were miscommunications, violations of policy, including excessive force and a problematic history from one of the troopers involved. The report showed Trooper Thomas Ellis’ response was improper. An autopsy and body camera video reveals Exline was hit and tased multiple times. William Ihlenfeld, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia, declined to prosecute, according to a letter obtained in the FOIA request.