According to 19-year-old Chastity Shifflett, on May 12, 2007, Shepherdstown police officers Kenneth Mauck and Brad Dusek came to the KRC convenience store at the corner of Washington and Princess streets in Shepherdstown for a cup of coffee. It was between 8:30 and 9 am, and the store was not yet open.
In her statement provided to the police—a copy of which Ms. Shifflett gave to The Observer—Shifflett alleges that, “as I proceeded to the door, Officer Mauck thought it would be funny to get out his taser gun and use the laser to shine it on my nose. But then he proceeded to shine the laser on my breast. Officer Dusek was standing with him at the door, and I was very offended by this. This isn’t the first time something has happened with officer Mauck. He has made sexual and very inappropriate comments before.”
In an interview with The Observer, Ms. Shifflet also recounted an episode involving Mauck that took place in September 2006. She claims that Mauck came to the store on the afternoon of the shootings at Shepherd University in which a man shot his two sons then killed himself. Mauck had been the first responder on the scene of the shooting. According to Ms. Shifflet, Mauck showed her photographs of the bodies and a photo of himself holding his camera with the dead bodies in the background.
According to Shepherdstown Police Chief Keller, Mauck has tendered his resignation, effective July 20, 2007. Mayor Lance Dom said, “I think it is the appropriate thing for officer Mauck to do.”
Neal Martineau, Shepherdstown Council Member and member of the Police Committee, said that Oficer Mauck’s resignation resulted from a combination of complaints, not just from Ms. Shifflett. Martineau went on to say that these complaints were merely the straw that broke the camel’s back. “[Mauck] had a pattern of upsetting young women,” said Martineau, “pointing his tasers at their bosoms, showing them pictures of dead people.”
When asked if the resignation was tied to the incident at KRC with Ms. Shifflet, Martineau said, “I would say they are definitely linked.”
When asked why Mauck wasn’t fired earlier in the year after allegations of misconduct emerged, Martineau said, “The [police] chief has been protecting Mauck, which is why he wasn’t fired in the first place. And the town attorney advised against it.”
Ms. Shifflet says she is angry with the way the Town has treated her. She says that Mayor Lance Dom promised that Mauck would resign soon after the incident, but then was told this was not possible because the Town wanted Mauck on the job long enough to testify in a criminal matter. Ms. Shifflett pointed out that an officer can provide testimony even after having left a police force. This was later confirmed by Chief Keller, although he pointed out that Mauck would no longer be obliged to testify.
When asked about the delay in action regarding Officer Mauck, Mayor Dom responded, “Personnel matters, particularly involving a police officer, have a number of liabilities associated with them. In consultation with  the town’s attorney I think we arrived at the best solution.”
When asked if he felt the Police Committee had failed to take action earlier, Martineau acknowledged that some people in the community felt that the committee had been derelict in their duty. “But,” he added, “We weren’t derelict. We were curtailed by our own laws. It is very hard to get rid of a policeman. The resignation is the best route to go.”
Police Chief Keller said he was upset to see Officer Mauck resign, “He is one of the best officers we have as regard to doing his job.” Keller went on to say that he was “getting a little disgusted” with the people in Town. “When I first came to town people would say ‘hi’ to me on the street. Now they shun me.” When asked if he was looking for a new job, Chief Keller said he was not, but added “Not that I couldn‘t find one.”
Officer Mauck did not return telephone calls on this story.