Benton deputies call sheriff’s ammo cache ‘mind-boggling.’ Hatcher asks for Franklin County review

The Benton County sheriff’s union is again calling for an investigation of Sheriff Jerry Hatcher after thousands of rounds of county-owned ammunition were found at his former home.

The union wants both an outside criminal investigation and an internal administrative review into why the taxpayer-funded property was stored at his house.

The Tri-City Herald reported this week that a recently filed divorce document shows his estranged wife turned over an estimated 15,000 rounds of ammunition and several guns found at the house to Kennewick police. Two guns and 14 of the 15 cases of ammo belonged to the county.

Hatcher told the Herald it’s not illegal or unusual to have county property at home, and said the ammunition was for practice shooting. But the Benton County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild’s statement called the cache “extraordinary” and “somewhat mindboggling.”

“As the members of the body of the (guild) are very aware, the amounts located at the sheriff’s residence represent a quantity that is greater than the entire (amount) deputies would be provided for years of training,” the union said in a four-page news release.

“In light of this realization, the (guild) has communicated its concerns as to this matter being investigated,” the release said. “Unfortunately, Sheriff Hatcher has indicated that this is also a matter that only he has the authority to investigate, i.e. only Sheriff Hatcher can investigate Sheriff Hatcher.”

The Herald has since learned that Franklin County Sheriff Jim Raymond has agreed to conduct an administrative review of some operations at the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

He confirmed to the Herald that Hatcher asked him in mid-February to do a review.

He said he has assigned two of his captains to look into any alleged policy violations or other issues, to “document the facts the best we can” and complete a report for Hatcher.

It could take one month or more to complete, said Raymond.

He said they will vet the “county property issues being discussed” — the ammo and guns retrieved from the house — but they won’t be doing a criminal investigation of anything or looking into allegations in the sheriff’s personal life, including his wife’s claim that he choked her during an argument.

Administrative review

“It’s not anything like conducting an independent review of the sheriff’s office because that can’t be done,” Raymond said. “The sheriff is elected and the sheriff answers to the people, but he has the right to request an outside agency to come in and conduct what is best described as an administrative review of alleged policy violations.”

Raymond said these types of reviews are done all the time, adding that he’s requested three of his own department since being elected in late 2014.

He said Hatcher has removed himself from the investigation, and that he himself is prepared to ignore any accusations about bias or conflict for accepting the review.

“When things get murky, police executives — chiefs and sheriffs — will ask for agencies from outside to look at the problem and document it in a fair, consistent manner so that you can come to a resolution of what’s going on administratively in the office,” Raymond said.

“No one is out there to point fingers at anybody. We’ll just document the facts the best we can and, at the conclusion of that, we’ll provide the appropriate people with information.”

Hatcher told the Herald on Wednesday that he asked Franklin County to assess whether he complied with his department’s domestic violence policy in his own case. He also wants the review to look into his compliance with the firearms and ammunition policies and procedures.

“I will have (Franklin County) go through the policies from cover to cover and see if there is anything that has been done wrong here,” he said.

The sheriff said typically he would ask his own detectives to review if a Benton County deputy were accused of domestic violence, but that wouldn’t be right in this situation to have them investigate the boss.

As for the ammunition, he said his job under state law requires him to call for an investigation if there is any suspicion or knowledge that a crime was committed. He wanted to make it clear, though, that it was only a concern raised by a guild member and not an accusation.

Hatcher said it is up to him to decide which law enforcement agency to use for an investigation or administrative review. He said he trusts all law enforcement in the Tri-Cities to be professional and to set aside any biases.

“I’ve done nothing wrong and I’m being transparent,” Hatcher told the Herald. “I’ve done exactly what they have asked for in this investigation.”

Outside independent investigation

However, the sheriff’s deputy union and the Washington State Fraternal Order of Police say an agency outside the Tri-Cities should be looking into the issues.

“Both Benton and Franklin Counties work together on many issues related to public services and public safety,” the Fraternal Order of Police said in its second statement. “In a desire to not jeopardize those long-term and well-earned relationships, it would be best that an investigative body come from outside the region.”

That statement came one day after the guild’s news release. It was issued in response to Hatcher firing back at the statewide police organization last Friday for its initial call for an investigation.

They praised Sheriff Hatcher for taking “ownership” of the current issues in his office, but said an independent investigation is still needed, listing several allegations.

“Unfortunately, concerns regarding the sheriff’s labor-related issues, employment practices, allegations relating to misuse of public funds to the detriment of public safety and allegations relating to domestic violence continue to emerge, and a thorough, independent investigation would help to shed light on the accuracy of all accusations,” said the release.

“The people of Benton County, the law enforcement officers in the Benton County Deputies Guild and Sheriff Hatcher deserve to have an investigation that shines light on all associated accusations,” said the release. “It is the hope that the results of such an investigation would provide healing and transparency that all involved parties would welcome.”

Trading allegations

The back and forth between Hatcher and the union stems from an announcement a month ago by the Benton County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild that a majority of its membership returned a “no confidence” vote against him.

The guild represents sheriff’s office deputies, corporals, sergeants and lieutenants.

Their Feb. 2 letter compared Hatcher to a tyrant who only cares about his personal image and said the union was left with no choice but to take this action.

That was followed by letters of support from the Benton County Commission and Teamsters Local 839, representing corrections officers and clerical workers.

Then the state Fraternal Order of Police sent out its first letter. President Marco Monteblanco, a Kennewick police detective, and executive director Lynnette Buffington wrote that they are “proud to comment on (the guild’s) courageous decision to no longer support” the sheriff.

“Sheriff’s Hatcher’s recent actions with respect to the degrading quality of work environment in the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and other areas has only served to decrease the trust of the members of law enforcement and the members of the community,” they wrote.

Hatcher, who’s been in office since 2017, replied Friday that the union was not ready for the changes he brought to the office. He also questioned the credibility of the state organization and the Benton County commissioners.

He said he felt like the attacks on him and his office were because someone had a personal agenda since the original criminal investigation into the sheriff appears to have fizzled out. However, his wife has received a protective order in divorce court requiring him to turn over all his weapons.

The Fraternal Order of Police countered Monday that members of law enforcement are very familiar with the criminal and internal investigation process, and know they are generally automatic when an officer is accused of criminal activity, including domestic violence or misuse of public funds.

“It is common knowledge if there is an issue that may be of a criminal nature, that the criminal investigation always is the first investigation to be conducted,” this week’s news release said. “The internal administrative investigation is conducted separately, and generally is conducted at the close of the criminal investigation.”

Those types of investigations are to address questions of policy violations and/or law violations, the organization said.

Fix requires collaboration

Hatcher reiterated on Wednesday that sometimes change in the way a department operates can be difficult for its employees.

He said he is continuing to evaluate their complete structure and effectiveness because they have an obligation to the taxpayers to move forward, but cautioned that it will take some time.

“We can get those things fixed, but it’s going to take the union too to sit down and have those conversations,” Hatcher told the Herald. “Not waiting until it reaches a boiling point and saying, ‘This isn’t working too well.’ That’s what was disappointing is they waited here.”

However, union officials said in their first letter a month ago that they only pulled their support for Hatcher after “much contemplation and discussion.”

“We regret you have left us no choice but to take this action,” their original letter said. “We have attempted to bring our concerns to you during your term, yet you have chosen not to make the necessary changes.”

Hatcher described it as a “breakdown” and said all parties had a role in that.

“I ultimately own it,” he said “... and I will put the pieces in place to fix that. But it takes both sides collaboratively to make this happen.”

This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 2:57 PM.