In a recent turn of events, Jacob Teeny, a former officer of the Tigard Police Department, has entered a guilty plea to the misdemeanor of second-degree official misconduct, resulting in his immediate resignation. Teeny's admission of guilt and departure from the police force are conditions of a plea agreement, and he must now relinquish his police certification to the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, effectively ending his eligibility to serve as a police officer in the state of Oregon, as reported by KGW.
The case against Teeny emerged after an attorney, preparing for a trial, detected inconsistencies between his police report and the accompanying body-cam footage, revealing that Teeny had lied about the method he used to access text messages in the course of an investigation as noted by KOIN. Following the lawyer's allegations back in November of last year, Teeny was swiftly placed on paid administrative leave he remained on leave until the Clackamas County District Attorney's Office wrapped up an impartial investigation of the incident in February, leading to his initial court appearance earlier this month and eventually to his guilty plea.
As this incident unfolded, Tigard Police Chief Kathy McAlpine reflected on its implications, "Truthfulness is a cornerstone of police work, and without it we lose the trust the community has placed in us, and the ability to testify in court proceedings," as emphasized in a statement obtained by KATU. McAlpine furthered that the department values transparency highly that includes communicating openly about challenges as well as successes.
Moreover, the Tigard Police Department has issued a statement indicating that, due to confidentiality requirements pertaining to employment and labor law in conjunction with Teeny's right to due process, they were unable to inform the public about the case while he remained employed the department, along with the Washington County District Attorney's Office, is now reviewing other reports and investigations that involved Teeny to confirm their validity, a crucial step in maintaining the integrity of past actions taken under his influence.
