Clifton Reintzel

In the small city of Follansbee, West Virginia, the night of Friday, March 13, 2015, was shattered by a domestic disturbance call that ended in tragedy. Clifton Daniel Reintzel Sr., a 53-year-old Caucasian male known to his friends and family as Dan, was a man with a varied past. He had served his country as a Private First Class in the United States Army during peacetime, earning ribbons for his service and expert badges for his skills with rifles and grenades. After his time in the military, he worked as an operator at the Samcross Machine Company. Many who knew him remembered his sense of humor and wit, his love for animals, and his artistic talent, which he expressed through tattoos and other creative projects. He was a member of the Belmont County Amateur Radio Club and, above all, was deeply devoted to his family.

On that fateful March night, however, a different side of Dan emerged. A call to Brooke County 911 reported a domestic incident unfolding at his home in the 600 block of Main Street. When officers from the Follansbee Police Department, West Virginia State Police, and the Brooke County Sheriff's Department arrived, they reported hearing a woman screaming from inside the house. It was a sound that added a sense of urgency and danger to an already tense situation. The woman, who was Reintzel's wife, had sustained minor injuries during the dispute.

The moments that followed were chaotic and swift. As police approached the doorway of the home, they were met by Reintzel. According to police accounts, he was brandishing a knife and verbally threatening the officers. One report mentioned him holding two knives. He had also reportedly inflicted cuts on himself. Despite orders from the officers to stop and drop the weapon, Reintzel continued to advance towards them. In that critical instant, an officer discharged their firearm. Reintzel was struck and immediately transported to Weirton Medical Center, but he did not survive his injuries.

The investigation into the shooting was handled by the West Virginia State Police. First Sgt. Dave Robinson of the Ohio County detachment spoke to the press in the days following the incident, relaying the officers' accounts of the events. He noted the sadness expressed by all the officers involved in the shooting. The investigation proceeded for several months and included an autopsy of Reintzel's body. The Brooke County Prosecutor, Joseph Barki III, was tasked with reviewing the final report to determine if the use of force was justified.

In August 2015, Prosecutor Barki announced his conclusion. He deemed the fatal shooting of Clifton Reintzel a justified use of force. Barki stated that Reintzel had charged at an officer with two knives, and that the officers had given him commands to stop and disarm before the fatal shot was fired. With this announcement, the official investigation into the death of Clifton Reintzel came to a close.

Clifton Reintzel was survived by his dedicated wife, a daughter, a son, and his beloved cat, Cruiser. His family and friends gathered for a funeral service on March 27, 2015, at the Chambers Funeral Home in Wellsburg. The service was marked by an American Flag line by the WV Patriot Guard and Military Honors by the WV Army National Guard and the Ohio Valley Veterans Memorial Squad, a final tribute to the man who had once served his country. While the official record may have closed on the night of his death, the questions and the sorrow for those who knew him undoubtedly lingered long after.