Criminal Charges Filed Against Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer

TACOMA, WA — The Washington Attorney General has filed two criminal charges against Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer, both stemming from the Jan. 27 incident in which Troyer is accused of calling a large police response on a Black newspaper delivery driver as the driver made his rounds.

Both charges are related to the way Troyer handled himself in his call to 911 dispatchers and in interviews with police, alleging that he lied to intentionally trigger an outsized response.

A Seattle Times investigation found that Troyer told 911 dispatchers that the driver threatened to kill him, but later recanted that statement when interviewed by Tacoma police. 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.

Timeline: Troyer's Exchange With Newspaper Driver

Following the Times' expose, Gov. Jay Inslee ordered Attorney General Bob Ferguson to launch a criminal investigation into Troyer's conduct that night— which has now concluded with the filing of two criminal charges. Ferguson's office says Troyer has been charged with one count of false reporting, and one count of making a false or misleading statement to a public servant.

Court documents shared by the Attorney General's Office say Troyer repeatedly told a dispatcher that driver Sedrick Altheimer threatened his life, but that he "knew the information was false" and that calling it in "would likely cause an emergency response." The documents also claim Troyer declined the AGO's repeated requests for an interview.

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.

The Pierce County Sheriff's Department has issued a statement on the charges, which reads, in part:

"Sheriff Troyer remains the elected Sheriff in full lawful authority and is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Sheriff has instructed his command staff, and the entire Pierce County Sheriff’s Department to continue in its mission and to fulfill their duties without interruption or distraction."

Troyer himself also issued a statement, calling the announcement an "ambush" and saying he believed the charging was politically motivated, accusing Ferguson of being "an anti-law and order, an anti-cop politician trying to score points for his political gain."

In the weeks after The Seattle Times' report, several community groups called for Troyer's resignation, including Tacoma Democrats and the Washington Black Lives Matter Alliance, who said Troyer had "abused the public trust, and abused, misused and weaponized his standing in law enforcement to harm Black and Brown Lives" and must be suspended.

Troyer has consistently denied allegations of racism or misconduct. Following the announcement of the Attorney General's criminal investigation, he told The News Tribune that he welcomed "any and all" investigations into his actions that night. Troyer also published an op-ed in The News Tribune calling the incident a "learning experience" and saying he would be working with the Black community in an effort to do better.

Troyer also remains subject to a second investigation from the Pierce County Council. This summer, the council contracted former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington to review Troyer's conduct from Jan. 1, 2020 up to the night of the incident. The council previously said Moran was likely to hold the results of his investigation until the Attorney General's Office completed its review. Unlike the AGO review, Moran's investigation is not criminal in nature and could not result in any additional 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.