The federal lawsuits against former Mount Hope, West Virginia, police officer Aaron Shrewsbury were two civil rights actions filed in August 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, both naming Shrewsbury and the City of Mount Hope as defendants. One was brought by Nathan Nelson, who alleged Shrewsbury broke his jaw while he was handcuffed and not resisting. The other was brought by Brian Beckett, whose dash cam footage contradicted Shrewsbury’s sworn account of a January 2022 traffic stop. Both cases were dismissed with prejudice in 2024, and the Nelson case ended in an agreed dismissal that typically signals a negotiated resolution, though the terms were not made public.
The Nelson Case: A Broken Jaw at Ace Adventures
On August 15, 2021, Shrewsbury arrested 20-year-old Nathan Nelson at the Ace Adventures Complex in Minden, Fayette County, after marijuana was found in a vehicle belonging to Nelson and his sister. Nelson was handcuffed. What happened next was disputed on the record.1The Civil Rights Lawyer. Mount Hope WV Officer Part 2 Breaks a Kids Jaw and Abandons Him in Someone Elses Cruiser
In a use-of-force report filed the next day and signed by then-Chief Jack Brown, Shrewsbury wrote that Nelson pursed his lips and made a noise as if preparing to spit, and that he used “a straight arm with an open palm to divert the male subject’s head away.” He did not claim Nelson actually spit on him. Nelson said Shrewsbury threatened him with an “old West Virginia ass whoopin'” and then punched him in the face with a closed-fist right hook while he was handcuffed and not resisting.1The Civil Rights Lawyer. Mount Hope WV Officer Part 2 Breaks a Kids Jaw and Abandons Him in Someone Elses Cruiser
Nelson’s jaw was broken in two places and at least one tooth was knocked out. According to reporting on the incident, Shrewsbury then left Nelson handcuffed in the back of an Oak Hill police cruiser without telling the Oak Hill officers what had happened. Those officers found Nelson covered in blood and transported him to Plateau Medical Center. He was later taken to Ohio State University for surgery and spent four days in the hospital. The only charge filed against Nelson from the encounter was misdemeanor marijuana possession.1The Civil Rights Lawyer. Mount Hope WV Officer Part 2 Breaks a Kids Jaw and Abandons Him in Someone Elses Cruiser
Nelson filed Nelson v. Shrewsbury et al (Case No. 2:23-cv-00543) in August 2023, represented by attorney John H. Bryan. The case was assigned to Judge Joseph R. Goodwin. On October 23, 2024, Judge Goodwin signed an agreed dismissal order ending the case with prejudice, with all parties bearing their own costs and attorneys’ fees. The specific terms of any settlement were not made public.2PACER Monitor. Nelson v Shrewsbury et al
The Beckett Case: Dash Cam vs. Sworn Affidavit
At about 5:45 p.m. on January 31, 2022, Shrewsbury pulled Brian Beckett over on West Virginia Route 19 in Mount Hope. In a sworn criminal complaint affidavit, Shrewsbury said he had clocked Beckett speeding by radar and had watched the vehicle “weaving through traffic recklessly.”3The Civil Rights Lawyer. Officer Decertification
Beckett was running a dash cam. The footage showed what appeared to be safe, normal driving, contradicting Shrewsbury’s account of reckless weaving. Shrewsbury ordered Beckett to roll the window all the way down; Beckett lowered it partway. Shrewsbury then pulled him from the car and arrested him. Beckett was also recording on his cell phone. According to reporting on the incident, Shrewsbury tried to stop the recording and attempted to use Beckett’s facial features to unlock the phone and delete the footage, without success.3The Civil Rights Lawyer. Officer Decertification
Beckett was charged with speeding, reckless driving, obstruction (based on not fully rolling down his window), and disorderly conduct. The disorderly conduct charge rested on his remark that “this was bullshit” after being handcuffed. Those criminal charges were still pending as of June 2022.3The Civil Rights Lawyer. Officer Decertification
Beckett filed Beckett v. Shrewsbury et al (Case No. 2:23-cv-00542) on August 11, 2023, also represented by John H. Bryan. The case was assigned to Judge Thomas E. Johnston and categorized as a prisoner civil rights action.4PACER Monitor. Beckett v Shrewsbury et al On May 22, 2024, Judge Johnston signed an order dismissing the case with prejudice. The order allowed for reopening on motion and a showing of good cause within 90 days. The publicly available docket does not disclose whether the dismissal followed a settlement.5CourtListener. Beckett v Shrewsbury
The 2015 Decertification
Shrewsbury had already lost his police credentials once before the incidents that produced these lawsuits. On June 25, 2015, while he was with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, the West Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Subcommittee revoked his certification. The stated basis was “Dishonesty & conduct unbecoming.” The revocation record noted that Shrewsbury had “admitted the commission of a crime involving sexual conduct and physical violence.”6Prison Legal News. West Virginia Police Officer Decertifications
In 2016, Shrewsbury ran for Fayette County Magistrate, campaigning on his law enforcement background and his experience as a professional boxer. Campaign materials did not mention the decertification.1The Civil Rights Lawyer. Mount Hope WV Officer Part 2 Breaks a Kids Jaw and Abandons Him in Someone Elses Cruiser He was eventually re-certified and hired by the Mount Hope Police Department, with Chief Jack Brown approving his return to duty.7The Civil Rights Lawyer. Clients Dash Cam Exposed Bad Cop Two Lawsuits Filed
How West Virginia Allows a Decertified Officer to Return
State law requires the automatic termination of any officer who fails to obtain or maintain certification, and prohibits further pay or compensation from that point on. The same code permits a decertified officer to reapply to the subcommittee for training and certification as a private citizen.8West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code §30-29-5
Grounds for decertification include willful falsification of information, conviction of or admitted commission of felonies, crimes of dishonesty, sexual misconduct, physical violence, and conduct unbecoming an officer that jeopardizes public trust.9Cornell Law Institute. W. Va. C.S.R. §149-2-16
When an officer separates from an agency, certification becomes inactive and the agency must notify the subcommittee within ten days. A former officer may then apply for reactivation. The subcommittee reviews the separation records and must approve the application unless it can show in writing that the applicant engaged in conduct warranting decertification.10West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code §30-29-11 That framework is how Shrewsbury, decertified in 2015 for dishonesty and admitted criminal conduct, was back on patrol in Mount Hope when the encounters with Nelson and Beckett took place.
Where Things Stand
Both federal lawsuits have been dismissed with prejudice. Reporting from mid-2022 indicated Shrewsbury had been suspended with pay, and no official confirmation of his final employment status with the Mount Hope Police Department has been made public.1The Civil Rights Lawyer. Mount Hope WV Officer Part 2 Breaks a Kids Jaw and Abandons Him in Someone Elses Cruiser The department itself is small, running on a budget of roughly $424,000 per year with two officers as of the most recent available data.11Police Scorecard. Mount Hope Police Department