Pierce County Council Resumes Investigation Into Sheriff Troyer

TACOMA, WA — The Pierce County Council's investigation into Sheriff Ed Troyer has resumed.

In early April, the county council contracted 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 Troyer called a priority police response on a Black newspaper delivery driver.

However, after the deal with Moran had been signed, Gov. Inslee's made a surprise announcementthat the Attorney General's Office (AGO) would be reviewing Troyer's case as part of a new criminal investigation.

Concerned that his review would interfere with the AGO's review, Moran placed his investigation on hold. However, the Pierce County Council now says that, following correspondence with the Attorney General's Office, Moran has resumed the county's investigation.

The council has also clarified that, though Moran's investigation was paused, his team continued to obtain witness statements and review documents during that time.

The county council says it expects Moran to deliver his results after the Attorney General's Office concludes its criminal review. Unlike the AGO review, Moran's investigation is not criminal in nature and could not result in any legal charges. The county's review only aims to determine if Troyer misused his authority, deviated from standards, or violated a policy or law and to provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.

On the other hand, Moran's review is slightly larger in scope than the AGO's, which is focused solely on the night of Jan. 27.

As the Seattle Times first reported, that night Troyer told 911 dispatchers that the newspaper delivery 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 Times he felt he had been racially profiled. Troyer denies that, and claims he recanted his statement only to avoid putting the driver in further trouble.

While Moran's review will also look into what exactly happened Jan. 27, the council has also given him reign to review Troyer's actions during his tenure as the Pierce County Sheriff's Department's Public Information Officer, a position he held for 19 years before he was elected sheriff last November.

Troyer has consistently denied allegations of racism, and has said he welcomes all reviews into his conduct.