CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Charleston police Chief Brent Webster and Mayor Danny Jones acknowledged Friday a police officer might have asked a magistrate for leniency for Desmond Demetrius Clark because he provided information to police.

Webster said he wants to speak to all Kanawha County magistrates so he can find out exactly what happened. The chief said he stands by his comments at a news conference on Wednesday where he said Clark was not a paid informant for any agency.

At that news conference, Jones also vehemently denied that Clark was a paid informant. On Friday, he said he wanted to find out the truth.

"We want people on the record," Jones said. "We want to talk to the two magistrates so we can find out if this is actually true. ... We are getting tired of responding to shadows."

Clark, 22, is charged with killing the mother of his child, 19-year-old Na'lisha Fiona Gravely, at a Taco Bell on Charleston's West Side on July 5.

The Charleston Gazette reported Friday that two magistrates said police asked for leniency when setting bond on Clark because he was providing information to police.

Six of 10 Kanawha County magistrates were interviewed for the story. In addition to the two who confirmed that police asked for leniency for Clark, two others confirmed that police asked for leniency on other offenders besides Clark.

A fifth magistrate would say only that Clark had never been in their courtroom. The sixth magistrate said police never asked for leniency for Clark.

Webster said he is talking to all officers who ever arrested Clark to find out what happened when he was taken before magistrates.

Webster said he wants to speak to all Kanawha County magistrates so he can find out exactly what happened. The chief said he stands by his comments at a news conference on Wednesday where he said Clark was not a paid informant for any agency.

At that news conference, Jones also vehemently denied that Clark was a paid informant. On Friday, he said he wanted to find out the truth.

"We want people on the record," Jones said. "We want to talk to the two magistrates so we can find out if this is actually true. ... We are getting tired of responding to shadows."

Clark, 22, is charged with killing the mother of his child, 19-year-old Na'lisha Fiona Gravely, at a Taco Bell on Charleston's West Side on July 5.

The Charleston Gazette reported Friday that two magistrates said police asked for leniency when setting bond on Clark because he was providing information to police.

Six of 10 Kanawha County magistrates were interviewed for the story. In addition to the two who confirmed that police asked for leniency for Clark, two others confirmed that police asked for leniency on other offenders besides Clark.

A fifth magistrate would say only that Clark had never been in their courtroom. The sixth magistrate said police never asked for leniency for Clark.

Webster said he is talking to all officers who ever arrested Clark to find out what happened when he was taken before magistrates.

"The ones I have talked to have said no, no, no, he is not any kind of source for me," Webster said. "This is a street guy. He is not going to do something for nothing. ... I want to find out what [the magistrates] meant by 'providing information.'"

Discussion between police and magistrates about setting bail for defendants happens all the time, he said.

There are a lot of instances in this case where Clark could have been put in jail and was not, Jones said.

"The least culpable in all of this is the Charleston Police Department, if there is a lapse in this whole long chain of events," the mayor said. "I think there are a whole set of 'if onlys.'"

A similar incident happened Friday, Webster said. On Friday morning, William Eugene Allen Jr. was charged with two counts of domestic battery.

A magistrate released him on a personal recognizance bond, Webster said. A few hours later, Allen was arrested again, Webster said.

Such instances need to not happen in the future, he said.

"I just know that a couple of officers called upset about it," Webster said. "There is frustration on all counts."

Staff writer Kellen Henry contributed to this report. Reach Gary Harki at gha...@wvgazette.com or 348-5163.