Report faults WA sheriff over confrontation with Black man

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — An investigation headed by a former U.S. attorney has found a sheriff in Washington state violated policies against bias-free policing during a controversial January encounter with a Black newspaper carrier. The 48-page report by Brian Moran made public Tuesday faults Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer’s late-night decision to follow a car driven by then-24-year old Sedrick Altheimer, and subsequently call in a large emergency response with claims that Altheimer threated to kill him. Moran’s investigation is a civil inquiry separate from a criminal probe conducted by the Attorney General’s Office, which last week charged Troyer with two misdemeanor counts for false reporting. An attorney for Troyer said the sheriff acted appropriately.