Former Charleston police officer alleges chief who resigned abused his power

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Two official complaints of alleged criminal actions have been lodged against former Charleston Chief of Police James "Tyke" Hunt.

Jenny Harless of Marmet said she alleged sexual abuse to the West Virginia State Police. The agency confirmed they have received and are investigating the matter. The WVSP said when the investigation reaches its conclusions the findings will be turned over to the Kanawha County Prosecutor's Office.

Chelsea McCoy complained to the Charleston Police Department, alleging Hunt tampered with her polygraph results during her departmental application process and had improper interactions with her in the polygraph examination room and the former chief's city hall office. The Charleston Police Department confirms receiving the complaint and said the matter will be handled by the Professional Services Division.

Back in 2015, McCoy joined the West Virginia National Guard when she was 18 years old. She also wanted to serve and protect her community. So, starting in 2017 and culminating a year later, McCoy began a journey toward joining the Charleston Police Department.

"I wanted to make a difference," McCoy said. "I grew up really rough and I wanted to be different than everyone else that I saw growing up. So, I lived in Charleston when I was a teenager and I just, I was like, this is my city. I want to protect the city and I was already in uniform through the military so it just made sense."

But McCoy was worried her checkered past might block her from joining the department's ranks. Her mother was addicted to drugs and McCoy was exposed to them at an early age. She experimented but did not get hooked.

However, a question on a polygraph exam required for Charleston Police Department applicants stood in her way of fulfilling her dream.

"I had a lot of, there was a lot of dabbling in drugs when I was younger," McCoy said.

What does that have to do with the polygraph?

"There were some things that I didn't want to say," McCoy said. "That made me nervous that I wasn't going to become a police officer."

In 2018, when McCoy was applying to join the department, James "Tyke" Hunt was a sergeant and a polygraph examiner. She said Hunt started a texting relationship with her about a month before the test.

"So, he was the polygraph examiner," McCoy said. "He was a sergeant at the time. He didn't even have my case. It wasn't his but he took my case from someone else. He started to call me and he wanted to pretty much know my whole life story. So I told him and it was like a month of him calling me and he texted me and I began to trust him. He was like the white knight. So he groomed me."

She alleges that Hunt assured her she would pass the polygraph.

"He was like, oh, you'll pass the polygraph. Every time I told him, I was like, I'm not gonna pass the polygraph. I don't see it happening but I really want to be a police officer and he was like, oh I'm doing your polygraph exam, you'll be fine. I'm like, okay," McCoy said. "I didn't have a father figure growing up, I didn't have that so he kind of just took me under his wing and I felt safe."

McCoy said she felt close to Hunt and with his support along with the fact he took over her polygraph exam from another officer, McCoy went to city hall for the test.

"At first I try to kiss him," McCoy said. "And he says you have to wait until after the polygraph."

She said the moment was spurred by texts and phone conversations the two had leading up to the polygraph.

"Because we talked sexually through texts, through phone conversations," McCoy said.

McCoy said she lied about her drug usage during the polygraph, but alleges she was told by Hunt that she passed.

"During the polygraph, whenever it starts there is a camera but once the polygraph is done then it's shut off," she said. "So, after the polygraph he's like, oh, you passed."

McCoy claims she and Hunt then had mutual sex in the polygraph room.

"It was mutual. We had an understanding that he was going to pass me on the polygraph and for us to have sex," she said.

McCoy said the appeared to be an understanding between the two of what would happen with the polygraph test and afterward.

"With the sexual comments that he made to me, with him sending me pictures it was an, it's an obvious understanding without him just coming out, hey like, if you do this I'll do that," she said. "Like, it was an understanding."

After their alleged sexual encounter, McCoy began her career as a probationary officer. It didn't last long.

In January 2019, McCoy got into a fight with another woman at a gathering at her home. McCoy told police she was acting in self-defense. She was charged with battery and resigned from the Charleston Police Department.

McCoy said when the other woman failed to appear in court, the charge was dropped and she reapplied to the department.

"Whenever I talked to the polygraph examiner, which was McMasters, he said he wasn't going to polygraph me on anything before Tyke Hunt," McCoy said.

McCoy said she wasn't polygraphed on anything from her life prior to the polygraph she'd taken with Hunt and she passed the exam.

Shortly thereafter, she and then chief of police Hunt started texting each other once again. McCoy said one thing led to another.

"It became friendly again and he started making comments about my body. I lost weight and he made a lot of comments about 'I don't know if I like you better like this or how you were,'" McCoy said. "I still trusted him and he did me another favor with the new polygraph. So, I was still loyal to him and indebted to him."

She alleges this series of events led to the two having sex again in his office after Hunt had become chief.

"He asked me to come up and I was like, okay, I'll come up and it just went from there," she said.

Following what she said was a sexual encounter in Hunt's city hall office, McCoy continued serving as a patrol officer. She said texts and messaging with Hunt slowed down.

In 2021, McCoy was activated for COVID duty with the National Guard. She said during that time she was embroiled in a custody battle with the father of her child. She started an OnlyFans page to make additional money, not identifying herself and working alone.

"There was no policy about having an OnlyFans. I'm not with Charleston PD at that time. I am employed by the, by the government not Charleston PD There was no policy against it," McCoy said.

However, she posted about the page on her personal Facebook account, drawing attention from the Charleston Sgt. Richie Basford, who is now Chief of Detectives, texted McCoy asking to meet with her privately.

"We met at Planet Fitness parking lot and I get into his vehicle. He tells me that it's in my best interest to resign," McCoy said. "Umm, I didn't want to resign. I wanted to fight the OnlyFans thing. I would have deleted the Only Fans. I was ready to get back on the force."

Following Basford's advice, McCoy resigned from the Charleston Police Department in March of last year. Still serving with the National Guard and now pursuing a nursing career, McCoy said she had put Hunt behind her until she was contacted about Jenny Harless' interactions with the chief.

"I don't know how they even heard about my story. I didn't tell anyone about Tyke. I did not tell a soul," she said. "So whoever knew must have done some digging because I didn't tell anyone. But Jenny, Jenny Harless, I heard her story and was like this, this is unacceptable. We have to stand together. We have to support ourselves and be women supporting women."

Some of Harless' allegations are very similar to McCoy's alleged experiences. Supportive and flirtatious texts which soon became sexual in nature, including the exchange of explicit photographs, and both women said they had encounters with Hunt in his city hall office. Harless turning down his sexual overtures but McCoy agreeing. However, Harless had proof of her relationship with Hunt, texts, messages and pictures. McCoy does not.

"Every time he saw me he would have me delete them in front of him," McCoy said. "Like, I would have to show him my phone and delete it in front of him."

The former Charleston police officer said she once thought of Hunt as a mentor, supporter and ally. Now, she said she knows differently.

"He's targeting women. He's abusing his power and it's not right," she said. "Men are supposed to be [protectors] ...especially when you wear a badge you're supposed to be a protector. You're supposed to do what's right and he not, he's not doing that. He's not protecting. He's not doing what's right. He should have never gave me the option to pass the polygraph to begin with. It, it should have never been an option. You're supposed to be unbiased whenever you're, when you're hiring police officers, You're supposed to unbiased in your investigation, it shouldn't be a personal thing."

McCoy said she believes Hunt took advantage of her and said she thinks he should no longer be chief.

"I don't want Tyke to be chief anymore. He doesn't deserve it," she said. "He doesn't embody what a police officer is. He shouldn't be chief."

Hunt stepped down as Charleston's chief of police on Friday, Aug. 18 for medical reasons. He remains a member of the police force.

Eyewitness News asked Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin for comment about the official complaints which have been submitted by Harless and McCoy. We did not get a response.