Defense rests in Pierce County Sheriff Troyer’s trial

TACOMA, Wash. — The defense rested its case on Monday in the criminal misdemeanor trial of Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer, who returned for a second day of testimony.

The sheriff is accused of filing a false report that a Black newspaper carrier threatened to kill him.

On his second day on the witness stand, Troyer said he never requested the big police response when he called a back line to dispatch about a confrontation with a suspicious man in his neighborhood who Troyer said threatened him.

“I knew one or two units was all I needed to handle the situation,” Troyer said.

The man Troyer said he thought might have been a porch pirate was actually newspaper carrier Sedrick Altheimer, who testified last week that he never threatened Troyer.

“If he was calm and said I’m just delivering newspapers, I would have gotten out and introduced myself,” Troyer said.

The state Attorney General’s office charged Troyer with two misdemeanors, and on the stand, Troyer lashed out.

“If the Attorney General’s office had made me part of the investigation instead of a target, none of us would be here,” Troyer said.

When cross-examination began, prosecutors immediately seized on that, pointing out they had twice given Troyer a chance to give a statement before charges were filed but that Troyer declined.

Earlier in the day, Troyer’s attorneys asked the judge to dismiss the case, saying prosecutors had not presented sufficient evidence.

The judge denied that request and said the case should go to the jury.

Closing arguments are expected as early as Tuesday.

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