WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, March 1, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — West Valley City Deputy Police Chief Mike Powell cited “personal reasons” for his resignation from the force late last month.
That is why Roxeanne Vainuku, spokeswoman for the department, says “it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to make comment,” on Powell’s departure.
Vainuku did say Powell “leaves the West Valley City Police Department in good standing,” after 15 years of service.
Last week, Powell was one of those named in former West Valley police detective Shaun Cowley’s federal civil rights lawsuit against the police department and several of its chiefs and commanders, along with West Valley City.
Cowley alleges the city wanted to cover up larger problems within the police department which became public after the fatal shooting of Danielle Willard, 21, in 2012. The former detective claims West Valley made him a “scapegoat” in the scandal.
However, Vainuku dismissed any connection between the lawsuit and Powell’s departure calling it “coincidental” timing.
