UPDATE (1/19/2023 11:39 a.m.):

MANNINGTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — An individual charged with felony malicious wounding is “no longer employed” by the City of Mannington.

According to Mannington Mayor Lora Michael, a former sergeant of the Mannington Police Department is no longer employed by the City of Mannington.

She also stated that there would be no further comment on the issue because “it is a personnel matter.”

ORIGINAL (1/18/2023 12:59 p.m.):

MANNINGTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — A sergeant with the Mannington Police Department has been placed on leave following a felony arrest incident in Marion County.

On Jan. 16, deputies with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to Whetstone Road in Mannington in reference to a victim stating Donald Sides, 54, of Mannington, had “showed up at his residence and beat him up,” according to a criminal complaint.

When troopers arrived, they spoke with the victim and another witness who stated that Sides and the victim were at the Elks in Mannington and “both had been drinking and they had some words” during that time, deputies stated.

The victim told deputies that Sides asked him “to step outside, so he did,” and the pair “had a verbal argument”; the victim then “stepped away from Sides and went back inside” the Elks before leaving for his home, according to the complaint.

A short time later, Sides “shows up at his residence” and said “You want to go at it?”, to which the victim replied, “he was not going to fight [Sides] because he was a police officer,” deputies said.

12 News was able to confirm that Sides is a sergeant with the Mannington Police Department from information received from Mannington Mayor Lora Michael.

During the incident, a witness at the scene “kept trying to get Sides to leave, but he refused and kept wanting to fight the victim”; the victim “put his hands out” and told Sides “he was not going to fight him” before Sides “attacked him, kneeing him in the right eye,” according to the complaint.

The victim then fell and “Sides continued to attack him, also biting his right index finger causing a severe laceration”; the victim stated “he never threw a punch or tried to defend himself due to the fact he didn’t want to go to prison for hitting a police officer,” deputies said.

While speaking with the victim, deputies noted that he did “have a severe right eye injury and his right index finger also had a severe laceration,” and that the injuries were “consistent with the victim’s statement.” He was transported via EMS for treatment following the incident, according to the complaint.

Sides has been charged with malicious assault and is currently out on a personal recognizance bond. Michael told 12 News that Sides has been placed on unpaid administrative leave and that the incident is under criminal investigation. The City of Mannington said it would not give further comment due to the investigation.