Taking the stand, Pierce County Sheriff denounces 'media narrative'

Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer testified in his own defense Thursday, telling jurors he’s been eager to give his version of the events that led to two misdemeanor charges by the state’s attorney general.

Troyer denied making any false reports or statements about his confrontation with a Black newspaper carrier nearly two years ago.

“Because I wouldn’t do that,” he said. “The reason I’m here testifying is the media’s made me out to be a racist and the state’s made me out to be a liar.”

On Wednesday and Thursday, jurors heard testimony from defense witnesses including Troyer, his wife, their neighbors, and the aunt of newspaper carrier Sedrick Altheimer.

Troyer said Altheimer’s car first attracted his attention because it was moving erratically with its headlights off around 2 a.m. on Jan. 27, 2021, so Troyer followed the car in his personal SUV.

Troyer said he was “kind of in shock” when Altheimer confronted him a few blocks from his house. He said he only perceived Altheimer’s race when Altheimer got out of his car.

“He never told me what he was doing, never told me he was delivering newspaper, never told me he was on any type of route,” Troyer said. “He just was angry and had this appearance of wanting to fight and threatening me.”

“He was screaming at me, I heard words like, ‘I’ll take you out,’” Troyer said.

He said his claim to 911 dispatchers that Altheimer was threatening his life was meant to warn arriving police officers about Altheimer’s demeanor. Troyer’s call to dispatchers set off a large-scale police response, but officers downgraded the call once they arrived and questioned Altheimer.

Troyer said Tacoma police detective Chad Lawless was one of multiple officers he spoke with at the scene. Troyer denied backtracking on his claims of being threatened, saying Lawless’ questions were vague and their conversation very brief.

"We never got into that much detail," Troyer said. "I just said I wasn’t worried about it. Or something along those lines."

Troyer said when he learned Altheimer was working as a newspaper carrier, then he chose to brush off the perceived threats.

“In our work, we’re threatened a lot,” Troyer said.

Troyer said no one asked him any follow-up questions and he was unaware that Lawless wrote an incident report the next day, which stated that Troyer “advised that Altheimer never threatened him and he did not observe Altheimer with any weapons.” That reversal is central to the charges Troyer faces of false reporting.

Troyer’s testimony was at odds with Altheimer’s on certain details. Troyer said Altheimer’s headlights were off when he first spotted his car; Altheimer said he always drove with his high beams on.

Troyer also said when Altheimer returned to his house two hours after their confrontation, that Altheimer got out of his car and stood outside yelling. Altheimer said he remained in his car and threw a newspaper in Troyer’s driveway.

Judge Jeffrey Jahns repeatedly denied motions from Troyer’s defense attorney Anne Bremner to link Troyer’s prosecution to the 2020 protests against police brutality following the murder of George Floyd.

“That was the climate during which this case was filed and there is the appearance of a political motive, given the timing,” Bremner said in a conference without jurors present.

Troyer's wife, Wendy Keleiwahea-Troyer, testified that the publicity around case has been hard on their family. She told jurors she is "tired of it all."

"I want it to be over," Keleiwahea-Troyer said. "Everything that’s going on. How we have to alter our lives and don’t live like we used to. I want to move.”

On Thursday, Altheimer’s aunt Kimberly Brown also testified briefly as a defense witness. She said she is a manager at the newspaper distribution center where Altheimer works and spoke to Altheimer on the phone in the hours after his encounter with Troyer. Brown said hew nephew was “upset, enraged and cussing,” adding, “He yells a lot.”

Troyer is expected to continue his testimony on Monday, when he will face cross-examination of his claims by prosecutors.

The newspaper carrier, Sedrick Altheimer, testified earlier this week. He said he never threatened Troyer and was needlessly placed in danger by him.

“When you are sitting in a vehicle and you are Black and cops surround you, guns are drawn," Altheimer said. "They don’t know what my threat level is, they didn’t know who I was. They came to that scene because somebody had lied to them.”

Altheimer said he visited the homes of people who had followed him, including defense witness Josh Harris and later Troyer, to make a point about his right to be in their neighborhoods.

“Because I just wanted [Harris] to know that I’m delivering newspapers and I’m not stealing packages,” he said. He said Troyer accused him of being “a porch pirate.”

Earlier in the trial, Tacoma police and 911 dispatchers testified as witnesses for the prosecution.

Opening statements from attorneys in the case took place in Pierce County District Court on Nov. 30. The trial is expected to conclude next week.