A Pierce County Sheriff’s Office deputy is now facing a felony charge after what authorities describe as a domestic-violence incident that started as a verbal altercation and escalated into alleged death threats.
Prosecutors have charged the deputy with felony harassment that includes threats to kill. The Sheriff’s Office says command staff are already moving to fire the deputy, who was pulled off patrol earlier this year and placed on modified administrative duties.
According to investigators, a family member first reported the incident in December, describing a verbal domestic dispute. Detectives opened a criminal probe, interviewed multiple people, and collected evidence before the deputy was removed from patrol on Jan. 26. The deputy, hired in 2022, had been working patrol across Pierce County.
Investigators later forwarded the case to prosecutors on May 8, and charges have since been filed. The deputy will be summoned to appear in court, as reported by The News Tribune.
What the sheriff's office said
In a written statement, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office stressed that its members are held to “a significantly higher standard and expected to demonstrate leadership, professionalism, and integrity both on and off duty.”
The agency went on to say that “the conduct in this case is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by our agency,” and confirmed that command staff have already begun steps to terminate the employee. Those comments, along with the internal personnel moves, were detailed in a news release and reported by The News Tribune.
Legal context
Under Washington law, harassment becomes a Class C felony when it involves a threat to kill the person targeted. The statute also requires that the threat place the victim in reasonable fear that it will actually be carried out. The crime and its enhancement are defined in RCW 9A.46.020.
The Washington Supreme Court has recently clarified that in some cases prosecutors must show at least recklessness to prove a “true threat.” For a deeper look at how the court analyzes that standard, see State v. Calloway.
What happens next
On the criminal side, prosecutors will summon the deputy to court to answer the felony harassment charge. On the employment side, a separate administrative process over the deputy’s future with the Sheriff’s Office is already underway.
A conviction under the threats-to-kill enhancement is typically treated as a Class C felony and carries statutory maximum penalties. Actual sentencing depends on the prosecuting authority, the defendant’s criminal history, and the state’s Sentencing Reform Act grid. The statutory language and maximum sentences are laid out in RCW 9A.20.021.
