Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis and Deputy Chief Eric Barden are beneath prison investigation associated to alleged crimes in opposition to girls, a KING 5 investigation finds.
SEATTLE — Two members of the Seattle Police Division command workers are beneath prison investigation associated to alleged crimes in opposition to girls, a KING 5 investigation has uncovered.
The 2 members of the highest brass beneath prison investigation are Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis and Deputy Chief Eric Barden. Each males are nonetheless on the job. Neither man has been charged with a criminal offense.
The investigations come to gentle at a time of nice turmoil for the division. As of late Could, SPD was facing legal action from no less than seven workers alleging racial and gender discrimination inside the division.
Now, KING 5 has discovered that Davis is beneath investigation for alleged sexual assault and Barden is being investigated for alleged home violence.
Inner emails obtained by KING 5 present the investigations originated from complaints to SPD’s inside investigation division – the Workplace of Police Accountability (OPA) – then have been referred to outdoors businesses as a result of they have been prison in nature.
KING 5 has confirmed a former worker of Seattle’s Neighborhood Police Fee prompted the investigation into Davis. That lady requested to stay nameless.
“It’s been horrible how this has impacted my life,” she mentioned.
Davis, a 25-year veteran of the division, served as a liaison between the fee and SPD.
The girl mentioned she met Davis at a piece occasion on her second day.
Dozens of textual content messages exchanged between the lady and Davis that KING 5 reviewed present they’d a relationship past the office. She alleged after assembly at a restaurant in March, Davis sexually assaulted her.
Davis’s legal professional mentioned the accusations are unfaithful. He despatched an e mail saying, “Chief Davis has served as a police officer with the Seattle Police Division for twenty-four years, sustaining an exemplary document and standing as an necessary member of our neighborhood. These allegations are false, and he welcomes any investigation to clear his identify.”
“The stress has been debilitating. It’s affected my efficiency, my productiveness, my sleep, my day-to-day life,” the lady mentioned. “The subsequent day, the subsequent few days I felt actually ashamed about what occurred to me.”
Paperwork obtained by KING 5 present that in Barden’s case, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Division acquired a referral in Could from the OPA, saying it had acquired a grievance of “home abuse” in opposition to the assistant chief.
Barden didn’t reply to inquiries for this story.
“Some of these allegations you’re referring to are critical it doesn’t matter what place you occupy within the division,” mentioned Ed Obayashi who conducts sexual harassment and sexual assault investigations for greater administration in regulation enforcement.
A number of regulation enforcement specialists have been troubled to listen to that two top-level police officers in the identical division are beneath separate prison investigations, and that each stay on the job.
“The beneficial follow in regulation enforcement is when anybody is beneath prison investigation it’s that they need to be on administrative go away,” mentioned Obayashi.
“For a regulation enforcement member of that degree, it is extremely uncommon to see them beneath prison investigation,” mentioned Walter Katz who’s with the Council on Felony Justice.
In mid-Could, then Police Chief Adrian Diaz put Davis on administrative go away. KING 5 now is aware of it was after receiving the sexual assault allegation. The go away didn’t final lengthy.
The subsequent week Mayor Bruce Harrell took Diaz off the job and changed him with former King County Sheriff Sue Rahr. On her first official day on the helm, she introduced Davis again to work. KING 5 has discovered that she made the transfer earlier than the alleged sufferer was ever interviewed.
“I introduced Tyrone Davis again as a result of after I reviewed the judgement out there to me, it was my judgement that he didn’t have to be on administrative go away for the investigation to maneuver ahead. There was no indication he would intrude with the investigation, there was no data that he would trigger any form of disruption within the office so I didn’t see a compelling purpose to maintain him on administrative go away,” mentioned interim Police Chief, Sue Rahr.
In Barden’s case, inside sources affirm that Diaz tried to place him on administrative go away, however beneath Rahr’s management, that directive wasn’t carried out.
“I used to be outraged, I used to be outraged, that is ridiculous,” mentioned the alleged sufferer the Davis case who went on to say she’s livid that each males are on obligation and that it’s the unsuitable message to girls.
“It tells me I don’t matter, that these people who the general public, these girls don’t matter,” she mentioned.
Sue Rahr stands by her determination to carry Davis again. All she would say about Barden is that he was “by no means on administrative go away.”
“We take these prices very severely and we conduct a reputable investigation,” mentioned Rahr.
Police specialists, nevertheless, mentioned finest practices aren’t being adopted in these circumstances.
“Police transparency and neutrality basically mandate administrative go away to run its course till the investigation is full and there’s an consequence,” mentioned Obayashi.
These are allegations and neither man has been nor might ever be charged with a criminal offense. Nevertheless, KING 5 is reporting this information as a result of each are in extremely seen positions of energy and 5 specialists from throughout the nation mentioned it’s uncommon and never finest follow to have officers on the job whereas they’re beneath prison investigation.
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