Garfield County sheriff under fire

The fate of Garfield County Sheriff Drew Hyer and possible criminal charges depend on the Benton County prosecutor’s decision.

As of Friday, Drew Hyer had not been charged, but Benton County Prosecutor Eric Eisinger could soon weigh in.

The Pullman Police Department was asked to investigate the sheriff after he allegedly entered two Pomeroy houses without warrants or welcome in 2024. After looking into the case and interviewing residents, the outside agency recommended two counts of first-degree criminal trespass be filed in Garfield County District Court. The gross misdemeanor charges may be pending, officials said, but nothing has been filed to date.

According to the 60-page investigative report from Pullman, the agency was contacted last July by Garfield County Prosecutor Matt Newberg to take a look at the accusations.

Hyer allegedly entered an unoccupied house to inform an elderly woman that her daughter had died in Clearwater County. The woman was down the street cleaning at a church, but Hyer reportedly went inside and answered a landline call while in the house.

The second allegation involves a female resident who was being served with a city infraction about her yard. She was reportedly in bed when the sheriff arrived at her house, and told him she was undressed and didn’t want him there. According to investigators, Hyer said he didn’t care, and left the ticket.

After the sheriff delivered the paperwork, the woman called several agencies, such as the FBI and Washington State Patrol, to report the incident.

Hyer’s attorney, Jim David, of Vancouver, told the Lewiston Tribune that everything involving his client could have been solved with a simple phone call, and a breakdown in communication in Garfield County has led to the current situation.

“Without intending to deflect from the incidents above, it is apparent that the Garfield County departments do not get along with each other,” David recently wrote to the Benton County prosecutor.

“The Pullman report finally shed light on the fact that a commissioner was meeting privately with citizens, including political opponents of the sheriff, and discussing the matter, something Sheriff Hyer always suspected.”

According to the documents, a resident told Pullman police she was aware of the investigation into Hyer, and the information reportedly came from a county commissioner.

The Hyer allegations have caused a stir in Garfield County. An anonymous group has repeatedly emailed officials and media outlets about the alleged incidents. Law enforcement entering houses without a warrant is a major concern in the community, the group says.

“We are writing you today, to bring attention to a serious matter involving Sheriff Drew Hyer of Garfield County. Over the past year and a half, we have investigated allegations of misconduct, including very serious incidents where Sheriff Hyer allegedly entered private residences without a warrant. We have gathered credible evidence and testimonies from current and former employees under Sheriff Hyer’s supervision that support our investigation. Despite repeated attempts to contact Sheriff Hyer for his response, he has not returned our call.”

Garfield County Commissioner Justin Dixon said the allegations against the county’s top law enforcement officer have been a hot topic of discussion in Pomeroy over the past year. However, the board is waiting to see if charges are filed against Hyer before taking action.

“The board of county commissioners is aware of the situation and investigation into the sheriff,” Dixon said. “We have turned everything over to outside agencies and will not comment on any further details until the matter has taken its legal course of action.”

According to the sheriff’s attorney, the weather was extremely cold with some snow on the ground last January when Hyer went to deliver the death notification to a Pomeroy woman in her 90s. The door was unlocked and her car was parked in the driveway, but he received no answer, David said.

At that point, the sheriff checked the Senior Center to see if she had walked there. After learning she was not downtown, he reportedly went inside to conduct a welfare check, David said, before locating her at the Christian Church.

David said no criminal charges are warranted, based on the background information he discovered, and an incomplete investigation by Pullman.

In the other case, Hyer reportedly knew the layout of the house because a former deputy lived there, and the sheriff entered a porch or mudroom believing the primary entrance was inside, he said.

Although the homeowner contacted outside agencies about the incident, she was not interested in getting involved with any personal or political vendettas, David said, and WSP and other state offices declined to go further with the case.

As for Garfield County officials, David said there appears to be some chatter that undermines his client.

“We are aware the reports were shared outside of the Sheriff’s Office,” the attorney told Benton County. “For several months, an unidentified person or persons have been in repeated contact with the various county commissioners and the prosecutor with claims they want to sue Garfield County …”

When Pullman officials wrapped up the investigation last fall, they had not heard from Hyer and concluded the circumstances indicated there was probable cause for two counts of first-degree criminal trespass.

The ball is now in Benton County’s court.

However, Hyer, who took office in 2017, has been in hot water at the county level for a few years. A controversial death in his jail helped fan the flames.

In October, Hyer’s decision to no longer provide activity reports to the commissioners prompted Commissioner Larry Ledgerwood to go on record as having no confidence in the sheriff.

One of Ledgerwood’s concerns was that Hyer allegedly didn’t take responsibility for a 2022 jail death that resulted in a $2.5 million claim against Garfield County.

“The sheriff has never acknowledged any responsibility for the incident in the jail that resulted in a two and a half million-dollar settlement against Garfield County, and his lack of enforcement policy forced Garfield County to close its jail,” Ledgerwood said, according to the East Washingtonian newspaper based in Pomeroy.

On April 14, 2022, Kyle L. Lara, 36, was discovered dead by hanging in his jail cell. Lara was a non-convicted pre-trial detainee, and officials believe he had been dead more than 18 hours when discovered.

The Garfield County Jail has since been closed.

Sandaine can be reached at kerris@lmtribune.com.