Pierce County Council to pause investigation into Sheriff Ed Troyer
(Pierce County Sheriff s Department, Facebook)
The Pierce County Council announced Wednesday that it will be pausing its investigation into Sheriff Ed Troyer, following the announcement of a separate investigation from the state Attorney General.
The two investigations stemmed from a late-January incident, where Troyer had called the police on a Black newspaper delivery driver. 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 to the scene.
County Council s investigation of Sheriff Troyer paused as state looks at criminal case
News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash. 4/28/2021 Josephine Peterson, The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)
Apr. 28 The Pierce County Council has temporarily halted its investigation into Sheriff Ed Troyer s interaction with a Black man delivering newspapers in a Tacoma neighborhood.
Council Chairman Derek Young announced in a Tuesday meeting that the council has paused the investigation into Troyer until the state s criminal investigation has concluded.
The council previously agreed to hire Brian Moran, a former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, to conduct a fact-finding investigation.
Moran suggested the pause.
Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday directed the state attorney general's office to investigate Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer for potential criminal violations stemming from the sheriff's interaction with a Black newspaper carrier three months ago. In a letter to the Criminal Justice Division of Attorney General Bob Ferguson's office, Inslee said he was compelled to act.
County hires ex-U.S. attorney to investigate sheriff. Here s what he ll do and be paid
News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash. 6 hrs ago Josephine Peterson, The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)
Apr. 20 Pierce County has entered into a contract with a law firm to investigate the Pierce County Sheriff s encounter with a Black man delivering newspapers in a Tacoma neighborhood.
Former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Brian Moran has started the investigation, county council spokesperson Brynn Grimley said.
Pierce County s finance director finalized the contract with Moran s firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe on Friday.
Moran will receive a flat fee of $50,000 to investigate Sheriff Ed Troyer s Jan. 27 confrontation with Sedrick Altheimer. Troyer called 911 to report Altheimer threatened to kill him.
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.