Inslee Orders Criminal Investigation Into Pierce County Sheriff

TACOMA, WA — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has directed Attorney General Bob Ferguson to launch a criminal investigation into Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer.

“I appreciate the governor’s confidence in our office," Ferguson said in a statement announcing the investigation. "We will conduct a diligent, fact-based review.”

The news is the latest in a chain in events that began with a Seattle Times investigation last month which found that Troyer had called a large police response on a Black newspaper delivery driver as the driver made his rounds the morning of Jan. 27.

Troyer told 911 dispatchers that the driver threatened to kill him, but later recanted that statement when interviewed by Tacoma police following the incident, the Times reported. 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. Troyer denies that.

In a statement announcing the new criminal investigation, the governor specifically cites the Jan. 27 incident as potentially violating false reporting laws, among other possible criminal violations.

“The initial reports of these events were very concerning to me, and I had hoped to see some action taken to initiate a criminal investigation at the local level. But, to my knowledge, that has not happened almost three months after the incident,” Inslee said. “So now the state is stepping in. I have spoken to Attorney General Ferguson and his office will conduct this investigation and make the decision whether to initiate prosecution.”

The Pierce County Council has launched an investigation into Troyer's conduct, though not a criminal one. Just last week the council hired Brian Moran, a former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, to review Troyer's conduct from Jan. 1, 2020 through Jan. 27, 2021 — up to the night of the incident that sparked the whole controversy.

Inslee's new investigation is likely to have more teeth: though Moran has been tasked with investigating Troyer's conduct, regardless of his findings the Pierce County Council does not have the power to compel Troyer to step down, as the Pierce County Sheriff is an independently elected position. A criminal investigation is another matter, however.

Following Inslee's announcement, Patch reached out to the county council, who said they would not be weighing in on the issue further until their investigation was finished.

"Council initiated its own independent investigation earlier this month to review past actions of the elected sheriff," said Pierce County Council Communications Manager Brynn Grimley. "To maintain that independence, Council will have no further comment until the investigation is complete."

Troyer has been Pierce County sheriff since November, when he won the election to replace outgoing Sheriff Paul Pastor. Pastor retired before the election, and Troyer took over when the vote was certified on Nov. 24. His term officially began Jan. 1.

Troyer has consistently denied allegations of racism, and has said he welcomes an independent review into his conduct. Following the announcement of this new investigation, he told The News Tribune he did not have any additional details on the issue, but reiterated that he welcomed "any and all" investigations into his actions that night.