Judge orders Pierce Co. Sheriff Ed Troyer to pay $100K bail for violating conditions of release

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - A Kitsap County judge has ordered Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer to post $100,000 bail after finding he violated conditions of his continued release pending his criminal trial. 

The amount the judge set is 10 times more than what the Attorney General's Office initially asked for, so Troyer will need to post at least $10,000 to avoid jail time. His lawyer said during a hearing on Friday that he would do so immediately.

Troyer is awaiting trial on charges of false reporting, stemming from his controversial confrontation with a Black newspaper carrier in January of 2021. 

On Jan. 27, 2021, Sedrick Altheimer was delivering newspapers in Tacoma when Troyer began following him in his personal SUV. Troyer called in a massive police response, repeatedly telling an emergency dispatcher that Altheimer had threatened to kill him. Troyer backed off his threat claims upon questioning by Tacoma police, leading to the false-reporting charges.

Altheimer's lawyers have filed an anti-harassment order against Troyer since then, saying the sheriff has continued to harass him. Troyer has denied these claims.

Troyer has to remain in "strict compliance" with the anti-harassment order as a condition of his release.

A statement from Troyer's lawyer, John Sheeran, said, in part: 

"Sheriff Troyer has had no contact with Mr. Altheimer since January 2021 other than this one incident. He has no desire to have contact with Mr. Altheimer whatsoever.  The court’s conclusion that Sheriff Troyer should post $100,000 simply is gratuitous in light of Mr. Althiemer’s obvious bias as he seeks $5,000,000 in his lawsuit against Sheriff Troyer and Pierce County. Sheriff Troyer will continue to serve the public as he was elected to do. He looks forward to a jury vindicating him."