CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Montgomery police officer was fired and another officer was placed on administrative leave Saturday after being accused of beating a black man Friday night.

Twan Reynolds and his wife, Lauren, accuse Patrolmen Shawn Hutchinson and Matthew Leavitt of repeatedly hitting Twan Reynolds over the head with a blackjack, kicking him in the back and spraying his eyes with mace at close range.

They also say Leavitt repeatedly used a racial epithet against Twan Reynolds, and Lauren Reynolds accused Leavitt of licking her on the neck during an interrogation and saying, "Little whore, you like it like that."

Hutchinson, Leavitt and Lauren Reynolds are white.

Leavitt denied that he did anything improper. He said Twan Reynolds became violent more than once after a routine traffic stop and had to be subdued.

"This was not Rodney King," Leavitt said. "This was an out-of-control suspect and his wife."

Montgomery Mayor Jim Higgins said he fired Hutchinson Saturday for insubordination. Higgins explained that Hutchinson was a probationary officer, so he was terminated immediately.

Higgins said he would decide about Leavitt later. He also is facing a charge of insubordination.

"I am still gathering information," Higgins said.

Montgomery Chief of Police Pete Lopez is investigating the allegations that the officers were abusive to the couple, Higgins said.

Higgins said he could not comment on the allegations because he is also the town's municipal judge. He said he expects the case to come before him in municipal court.

The couple was cited for several charges in Montgomery municipal court, according to Leavitt.

Twan Reynolds was cited for two counts of battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice.

Lauren Reynolds was cited with battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct, obstruction of justice and having an open container.

According to Twan and Lauren Reynolds, the two officers followed them around during a football game Friday night between Valley and Fayetteville high schools.

After the game, Lauren Reynolds drove Twan Reynolds and their 4-year-old daughter to the 7-Eleven convenience store in Montgomery. She said they needed to get air for the car's tires.

As they left the parking lot, she said, a police car blocked their exit.

Leavitt said he and Hutchinson pulled the car over "for a routine traffic stop."

Leavitt said he spotted a half-empty bottle of Grey Goose vodka in the back seat.

He asked Lauren Reynolds to get out of the car to perform a field sobriety test.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Montgomery police officer was fired and another officer was placed on administrative leave Saturday after being accused of beating a black man Friday night.

Twan Reynolds and his wife, Lauren, accuse Patrolmen Shawn Hutchinson and Matthew Leavitt of repeatedly hitting Twan Reynolds over the head with a blackjack, kicking him in the back and spraying his eyes with mace at close range.

They also say Leavitt repeatedly used a racial epithet against Twan Reynolds, and Lauren Reynolds accused Leavitt of licking her on the neck during an interrogation and saying, "Little whore, you like it like that."

Hutchinson, Leavitt and Lauren Reynolds are white.

Leavitt denied that he did anything improper. He said Twan Reynolds became violent more than once after a routine traffic stop and had to be subdued.

"This was not Rodney King," Leavitt said. "This was an out-of-control suspect and his wife."

Montgomery Mayor Jim Higgins said he fired Hutchinson Saturday for insubordination. Higgins explained that Hutchinson was a probationary officer, so he was terminated immediately.

Higgins said he would decide about Leavitt later. He also is facing a charge of insubordination.

"I am still gathering information," Higgins said.

Montgomery Chief of Police Pete Lopez is investigating the allegations that the officers were abusive to the couple, Higgins said.

Higgins said he could not comment on the allegations because he is also the town's municipal judge. He said he expects the case to come before him in municipal court.

The couple was cited for several charges in Montgomery municipal court, according to Leavitt.

Twan Reynolds was cited for two counts of battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice.

Lauren Reynolds was cited with battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct, obstruction of justice and having an open container.

According to Twan and Lauren Reynolds, the two officers followed them around during a football game Friday night between Valley and Fayetteville high schools.

After the game, Lauren Reynolds drove Twan Reynolds and their 4-year-old daughter to the 7-Eleven convenience store in Montgomery. She said they needed to get air for the car's tires.

As they left the parking lot, she said, a police car blocked their exit.

Leavitt said he and Hutchinson pulled the car over "for a routine traffic stop."

Leavitt said he spotted a half-empty bottle of Grey Goose vodka in the back seat.

He asked Lauren Reynolds to get out of the car to perform a field sobriety test.

At first, both Lauren and Twan Reynolds questioned why they had to get out, according to the couple and Leavitt.

Then their stories begin to diverge.

According to the Reynoldses, police grabbed Twan Reynolds and pulled him out of the car. Within five seconds, and they say without provocation, the police pepper sprayed him in the face at close range, hit him several times on the head with a blackjack and kicked him in the back.

According to Leavitt, Twan Reynolds got out of the car and pushed Hutchinson into a third officer. That's when Leavitt and Hutchinson pepper sprayed him and hit him with the blackjack.

Leavitt accuses that third officer of not helping to subdue Twan Reynolds.

"At this point the situation is totally out of control," Leavitt said. "I've got his wife on my back, pulling on my gun belt ... [the third officer] tries to pull us off the subject we're trying to arrest."

Then, both Reynoldses were taken back to Montgomery police headquarters.

Two emergency medical technicians were there. Leavitt says he called them to the station.

But Leavitt soon asked them to leave the room, he says, because Twan Reynolds was "verbally or physically aggressive."

Lauren Reynolds, a nurse, says she and her husband asked for care, but that Leavitt said Twan Reynolds didn't need help, told the EMTs to leave and locked the door behind them.

Lauren Reynolds said she was taken to a separate room and handcuffed to a doorknob. She says Leavitt came in, grabbed her by the arm, leaned over and "just licks me on the neck," saying, "Little whore, you like it like that" and "Have you figured out who owns Montgomery yet? You're going to learn it."

Both Reynoldses say Leavitt called Twan Reynolds "nigger" several times during the incident.

Police performed a Breathalyzer test on her. She says it showed no alcohol in her system.

She was not charged with driving under the influence.

The Reynoldses say the Montgomery police chief, the mayor and Twan Reynolds' brother, city councilman Terrance Hamm, soon arrived at the police station.

Both were sent to Montgomery General Hospital's emergency room. Lauren Reynolds soon was released, but Twan Reynolds was sent to Charleston Area Medical Center and released late Saturday afternoon.

He says he had blood in his urine from being kicked in the back. His cornea was torn. He also suffered a chipped bone in his elbow, he said, and several injuries to his head.

Twan Reynolds' voice broke as he tried to describe his injuries.

"It's some horrible stuff here in Montgomery, man. Some horrible stuff," he said.

Reach Gary A. Harki, Scott Finn or Susan Williams at gha...@wvgazette.com or 348-5163.