West Virginia Officer Sues State Police Over Pursuit Crash

A Bluefield, WV, officer is suing state police over injuries he suffered as result of a crash during a multi-agency vehicle pursuit. Another officer was killed in the crash.

Bluefield police Sgt. Joseph Danieley has filed a complaint against West Virginia State Police and a trooper in connection with the May 2017 crash, the Bluefield Daily Telegraph reported.

The lawsuit alleges the death of Bluefield Lt. Aaron Crook and injuries to then-K-9 Officer Danieley were caused by negligent and careless behavior on the part of officers “approaching the location at excessive speeds and colliding with the police vehicles already at the scene.” Danieley and Crook were attempting to detain a suspected drunken driver at the time.

Danieley’s injuries included cervical spinal fractures, disc lesions and knee and nerve damage, according to the complaint, the New York Post reports.