Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson's office has filed two misdemeanor criminal charges against Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer over his controversial January confrontation with a Black newspaper carrier.
Troyer faces one count of false reporting and one count of making a false statement to a civil servant for claiming to an emergency dispatcher that the carrier, Sedrick Altheimer, had threatened to kill him, according to a statement of probable cause released Tuesday.
Troyer, who has denied wrongdoing, criticized the decision Tuesday.
"I have never had a sustained or founded complaint in 37 years," he said in a Tuesday morning phone interview. "I have never had a complaint of racial bias, use of force or sexual discrimination even filed."
Altheimer, 24, was driving on his regular delivery route Jan. 27 when Troyer began following him in his unmarked personal SUV.
The two wound up in a 2 a.m. standoff in which Troyer called an emergency dispatcher, claiming that Altheimer had threatened to kill him.
The call from the county's top law-enforcement officer touched off a massive police response, with more than 40 units from various agencies rushing toward the scene, though most were called off after Tacoma police arrived.
In his call, Troyer described Altheimer's 1995 Geo Prizm variously as "some sort of gray car" and "some sort of beat-up truck, old, homeless-looking." He repeatedly said Altheimer "threatened to kill me." Altheimer denied making any threats and said Troyer did not identify himself as a law-enforcement officer.
Upon questioning that night, Troyer walked back his claim that Altheimer had threatened him, according to a Tacoma police report. While video of Altheimer's questioning by police were later released, no recording was released of the interview of Troyer that night. A Tacoma police commander was later disciplined for failing to ensure body camera recordings were made.
Troyer is a 35-year veteran of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, and served for years as the agency's public face and media spokesperson before being elected sheriff in November.
After the January incident was first reported by The Seattle Times in March, Troyer faced calls for his resignation or suspension from some community groups and civil-rights organizations.
Attorneys representing Altheimer filed a tort claim against Pierce County in June, alleging Troyer's actions amounted to "racial profiling, false arrest and unnecessary use of force." The claim, a precursor to a possible lawsuit, seeks millions of dollars in damages.
In addition to the attorney general's criminal probe, the Pierce County Council has hired former U.S. Attorney Brian Moran to investigate whether Troyer abused his authority or deviated from professional standards, including honesty, and whether he has a pattern of such violations.
Moran, in an interview Tuesday, said his investigation is nearly completed.
