In May, we shared a blog post about police bias and dishonesty. At the time, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department Drug Unit was under investigation. As reported by the Tacoma News Tribune, the majority of officers assigned to the Drug Unit of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department had recently been reassigned so that an outside agency could review the unit’s procedures. The review was initiated by multiple officers and prosecutors raising questions about the unit’s practices. At the time of reporting, it was unclear if any investigations or criminal cases had been impacted by the inquiry.
It has now been reported that members of the drug unit are being investigated specifically for falsifying records and conducting improper searches. The Tacoma News Tribune has reported that in at least two of the cases, the potential violations resulted in criminal charges against alleged drug offenders being dismissed. Ten members of the unit have been placed on the prosecutors’ “Brady” list of officers, which is a list of officers who have sustained instances of lying or dishonesty. The investigation is ongoing. At Horwath Law, we will continue to stay up to date on any developments that may affect a police officer’s credibility.