Former U.S. Attorney Agrees To Lead Sheriff Troyer Investigation

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — Brian Moran, a former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, has agreed to take up the Pierce County Council's investigation into Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer's conduct.

According to the council, Moran has been tasked with determining if Troyer showed a "pattern of misuse of authority, deviation from standards or a violation of policy or law."

Moran will be reviewing Troyer's conduct from Jan. 1, 2020 through Jan. 27, 2021 — up to the night of the incident that sparked the whole investigation.

Last week council members unanimously approved a motion directing their staff to prepare a contract and hire an independent investigator to review Troyer's conduct. At the time, the council said they hoped the review would include an examination of Troyer's behavior before he became the sheriff. In particular, they agreed the investigation should review his response to the Manuel Ellis case and a Nov. 11, 2020 incident in which Troyer reportedly called a priority response on two Black men outside his campaign office during his run for sheriff.

Because both of those incidents happened in 2020, they will fall under Moran's investigation. The council says, including all of 2020 in the review will likely help create a more comprehensive picture of Troyer's conduct.

"I believe the modified language goes further than the original to serve the Council's goal of having a truly independent investigation, while also providing accountability to the Council and the public we serve," said Pierce County Council Chair Derek Young.

Troyer, formerly the Pierce County Sheriff Department's public information officer, was elected sheriff in the November General Election. Because former Sheriff Paul Pastor retired before that election, once the votes were certified in late November, Troyer immediately assumed the position, though his term did not officially begin until January.

The investigation was sparked by a recent report by The Seattle Times, which detailed a Jan. 27 incident in which Troyer followed a Black newspaper delivery driver as the driver made his morning rounds, ultimately calling a priority response on the driver.

The driver was frisked by officers and his car was searched before he was allowed to continue his route. However, he told The Seattle Times he felt he had been racially profiled.

News of the incident has been met with concern from the community, with Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier calling the incident "alarming" and some community groups calling for Troyer's resignation.

Troyer has consistently denied allegations of racism, and says he welcomes an independent review into his conduct. In a recent op-ed for the Tacoma News Tribune, Troyer said he had been meeting with local Black leaders in what he called a "learning experience" and promised to do "a better job of listening".