Findings of independent investigation into Sheriff ‘serious and disturbing’
Tuesday Council received the results of a months-long independent investigation into the actions and conduct of Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer stemming from an interaction he had on Jan. 27, 2021. I read the entirety of the report – all 48 pages – and I find the conclusions serious and disturbing.
Integrity and wise decision making are the most important qualities of any person in the challenging career of law enforcement. One thing the report makes clear is that Sheriff Troyer was seriously lacking in both of those during his interaction with Mr. Altheimer on January 27. The consequences of that failure could have been truly tragic.
I strongly support the recommendations in the report, including referring the report to the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney to determine if the sheriff should be placed on the “Brady list” of untrustworthy law enforcement officials, and referring his actions to the State Criminal Justice Training Commission who has the authority to “suspend, deny, or revoke” any law enforcement official’s commission.
I also support the creation of a fully independent ombudsman to investigate actions of any sheriff and sheriff’s department personnel in the future. The sheriff is not above the law and it is time we put procedures in place to add oversight and accountability to this elected position so that we may improve public trust and confidence.
Mind you this is not a hit-job as the sheriff tries to make this out to be. The investigator, Brian Moran, is a former Republican-appointed U.S. Attorney for Western Washington, and an incredibly reputable lawyer. Trying to nullify the investigations completed by Mr. Moran and Attorney General Bob Ferguson are acts of desperation to sidestep the truth.
I have lost faith, trust and confidence in Sheriff Ed Troyer and urge him to step down to allow the brave individuals of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department to not be distracted by these actions.