TACOMA, Wash. — After weeks of testimony filled with hours of heated debate, Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer was acquitted on misdemeanor false-reporting charges related to a confrontation with a Black newspaper carrier in 2021.
Troyer was accused of calling 911 to report that Sedrick Altheimer, a Black newspaper carrier, threatened to kill him in January 2021.
He made the call after following Altheimer around the neighborhood in his vehicle. About 40 officers responded to the scene.
In October 2021, the Washington State attorney general charged Troyer with misdemeanor counts of false reporting and making a false or misleading statement to a public servant.
The judge sent the six-member jury off to deliberate just after 9 a.m. Wednesday. They returned a verdict about seven hours later.
“Part of upholding the rule of law is respecting the decision of a jury,” said Attorney General Bob Ferguson in a statement. “I appreciate the jury’s service, and thank my team for their hard work.”
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