Sheriff's Office News

The Washington County District Attorney's Office presented additional evidence to a grand jury related to Deputy Rian Alden's use of force incident. The Grand Jury returned a charge of assault in the second degree (2 counts), unlawful use of a weapon, and official misconduct. As a reminder, evidence in the case cannot be released until the case is adjudicated.

In a little more than 24 hours over the weekend, deputies were called to three significant crashes, which led to two deaths and one juvenile being charged. In every crash, alcohol is suspected to be a factor, and the people in the vehicles were ejected.

The suspect in this case, 39-year-old Lisa Akers, was taken into custody early this morning in Grant County, Oregon.

On Wednesday, June 10, 2020, at 7:21 p.m, a Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputy was on patrol in the community of Aloha when she observed a male speeding in a white Ford F-150 in the area of SW Blanton Street and SW 170th Avenue. When the deputy attempted to stop the truck, the driver sped away and ran a red light. Deputies did not pursue for safety reasons. During the investigation, it was determined that the truck had been stolen earlier in the week during a burglary of an auto repair shop. A deputy recognized the driver of the stolen truck to be 26-year-old Ahmed Sadiq, of Aloha.

On Thursday, June 11, 2020, at 8:54 p.m., a Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to reports of a suspected drunk driver near SW 184th Avenue and SW Blanton Street in the community of Aloha. After observing the driver swerving through the streets, nearly hitting a few parked cars along the side of the road, the deputy attempted to stop the car. The driver of a silver Toyota Corolla initially pulled over, but then decided to take off before contacting the deputy.

On June 11, 2020, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office email list was accessed by an unauthorized individual. This database of email addresses was used to send a fake version of our “WCSO News” email newsletter. The information contained in the fake email is inflammatory and does not further the conversation or help the frustration and concerns our community is feeling in regard to police brutality and race relations. We apologize for the unauthorized spam messages.

The Washington County Major Crimes Team has identified the deceased as Robert Anthony “Jordan” Whitehead, age 26.

On the afternoon of May 31, 2020, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received an allegation that a deputy sent an inappropriate email with racial epithets. While it appears the email is over 16 years old and four years before being employed at the Sheriff’s Office, it is entirely inconsistent with the core values and professional standards at the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office promptly opened an investigation by the Professional Standards Unit (PSU). The employee is on administrative leave pending PSU’s investigation.

We stand together as law enforcement professionals in the Portland Metropolitan Area to condemn the tactics and actions demonstrated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is our job to protect life and increase public safety within our communities.

Beginning Wednesday, May 27, 2020, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) will conduct a three-day compliance assessment of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The team will measure the agency’s continued ability to meet public safety standards considered to be benchmarks of excellence nationwide. The Sheriff’s Office has been continuously nationally accredited by CALEA since 2004.