Troyer maintains he was threatened but says he didn’t want to pursue charges. Tacoma police have stood by their incident report. Both parties have said they welcome an investigation.
The review by Moran will examine whether Troyer misused his authority, committed a crime, or deviated from professional standards, including honesty, and whether a pattern of such violations exists.
The council last week authorized $50,000 for the investigation.
Under the contract, Moran can subpoena witnesses and evidence, and take testimony under oath. When the investigation is complete, Moran will deliver a report to the council with findings and potential disciplinary actions.
Former U S Attorney will investigate Pierce County sheriff columbian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from columbian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer. (KIRO 7)
Pierce County Council released an update on its investigation into Sheriff Ed Troyer on Tuesday, laying out its expansive scope in the coming weeks.
That came alongside the announcement that former U.S. District Attorney Brian Moran has accepted the Pierce County Council’s offer to lead the investigation, after the two parties agreed to expand the scope of the inquiry.
Troyer recently came under scrutiny following the revelation of a late-January incident, where he called the police on a Black newspaper delivery driver. Then, in late March, Pierce County Council Chair Derek Young directed council staff to begin the process of investigating the incident.
Did Troyer’s decision to follow newspaper carrier violate Sheriff’s Department policy? By Stacia Glenn, The News Tribune
Published: April 13, 2021, 11:35am
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A Pierce County Sheriff’s Department policy says it is “generally discouraged” for personnel to intervene in minor crimes while off-duty.
The policy recommends that instead deputies report possible criminal activity to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
It has not been determined whether Sheriff Ed Troyer violated the policy in January during a confrontation with a Black newspaper carrier near his West End Tacoma home. That is something that might be determined by an investigator hired by the County Council on a fact-finding mission.
Pierce County Council tags former US attorney to investigate Sheriff Ed Troyer
Pierce County Council Chair Derek Young. (Pierce County Television, YouTube)
Pierce County Council approved a motion Tuesday to contract former U.S. District Attorney Brian Moran to head up an investigation into Sheriff Ed Troyer.
Troyer recently came under scrutiny following the revelation of a late-January incident, where he called the police on a Black newspaper delivery driver. Then in late March, Pierce County Council Chair Derek Young directed council staff to begin the process of investigating the incident.
The incident in question was first reported on by the Seattle Times, describing how Troyer had reported seeing a car moving in and out of a neighbor’s driveway at 2 a.m. with its headlights off. He then confronted the driver, identified as 24-year-old Sedrick Altheimer, before making a call to dispatch that had an estimated 42 units from around the region sent to the scene.