A Thurston County patrol deputy has been fired after an internal investigation found the deputy failed to investigate a woman’s report of domestic violence and falsely documented that she had reported no assault or threats, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman disappeared under suspicious circumstances two days after the deputy responded to the incident. Deputies and detectives later found her unharmed, but the search brought scrutiny to how the deputy had handled her allegations.
The deputy was terminated Sept. 15. The organization representing the deputy has filed a grievance seeking reinstatement, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The deputy responded July 12 to a domestic violence incident involving the woman and her partner. She told the deputy her partner had physically assaulted and threatened her earlier that day, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The deputy neither investigated those allegations further nor wrote a case report. Instead, the deputy entered this statement in the call log: “spoke with [involved party] who stated no assault, no property damage, no threats.”
That entry was an untruthful misrepresentation of what the woman had disclosed, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Detectives discovered the discrepancy while investigating her disappearance, which was reported July 14. They reviewed body camera footage from the deputy’s response two days earlier. The woman was found unharmed July 15.
The deputy was placed on administrative leave after the footage was reviewed. An internal investigation substantiated the misconduct allegations and led to the firing, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The agency said employees are expected to fully investigate and accurately document domestic violence incidents in accordance with state law, case law, department policy and ethics.
Following the termination, the Sheriff’s Office sent a notice of separation to the Criminal Justice Training Commission and a Brady notice to the Prosecutor’s Office. A Brady notice alerts prosecutors to sustained officer misconduct, including dishonesty, that could undermine the officer’s credibility as a witness.
The grievance seeks to reverse the firing. The Sheriff’s Office said it would release another statement if the termination is overturned.
