AG Seeks $10,000 Bail From Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer: Report

TACOMA, WA — The Washington State Attorney General's Office (AGO) is requesting that Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer post $10,000 bail, according to a new report from The Seattle Times.

As the Times' Jim Brunner reports, the AGO filed a motion Friday seeking to revoke Troyer's no-bail release, asking the state impose the $10,000 bail as a condition for his ongoing release. The reasoning, according to that report, is a recent no-contact court order issued against Troyer that requires him to keep 1,000 feet from newspaper carrier Sedrick Altheimer. In granting that court order, a judge found that Troyer had repeatedly harassed Altheimer since their confrontation in January 2021. The AGO says setting bail will help reinforce that no-contact directive.

Troyer faces two criminal charges over the way he handled himself in his 2021 confrontation with Altheimer: one count of false reporting, and one count of making a false or misleading statement to a public servant. If convicted on both counts, Troyer could face up to 364 days in prison, and up to a $5,000 fine, the Attorney General's Office said.

In the incident, Troyer reportedly followed and eventually contacted the driver, Sedrick Altheimer, believing the driver was committing package theft when in fact Altheimer was driving his regular delivery route. After some verbal sparring, Troyer called 911 telling dispatchers that the Altheimer threatened to kill him, but later recanted that statement when he was interviewed by Tacoma police. Altheimer 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.

The incident sparked a whirlwind of controversy for the sheriff, including a campaign demanding Troyer's resignation, criminal charges from the Attorney General, a probe from the county that found Troyer violated several Sheriff's Department policies, and a lawsuit from Altheimer.

Despite calls for his resignation, Troyer has said he will not step down as sheriff, accusing Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson "an anti-law and order, an anti-cop politician trying to score points for his political gain."

Troyer's trial is scheduled for October.

>> Read the full report from The Seattle Times