Attorney General's Office: No Evidence of Perjury by Police Chief

Editor's Note: Gig Harbor Patch received the following press release from the on Friday, April 1.

Today the City of Gig Harbor received the Attorney General’s Report on its that Gig Harbor Police Chief Mike Davis may have committed perjury while on the witness stand during an August 2009 jury trial in Pierce County Superior Court.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has concluded from reviewing the State Patrol investigation that “there is no basis for a charge of perjury, false swearing, or any other charge. The AGO accordingly declines to file any criminal charges.” The AGO further states, “The trial record reflects that Chief Davis answered the questions put to him as best he could. There is no evidence that he knowingly offered false testimony.”

In its report, the AGO concludes that “Nothing in this case comes remotely close” to the standard set forth in RCW 9.94A.411 for filing criminal charges. “There is no evidence of any convincing force that Chief Davis committed perjury; nor would any reasonable and objective fact-finder convict Chief Davis of anything after hearing the evidence.”

This investigation began after an accusation was made in an unrelated administrative meeting. Because of the very serious nature of these verbal allegations and Chief Davis’s desire to maintain public confidence in the , he invited and requested the independent investigation. Mayor Hunter subsequently requested that the Washington State Patrol conduct an independent investigation into the matter. Upon completion of the investigation, the State Patrol forwarded its report to the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. (Due to a potential conflict of interest, the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office declined to review the investigation report and requested that it be reviewed by the AGO.)

Today, city administrator Rob Karlinsey stated that “the City has an obligation and commitment to investigate all complaints, no matter how frivolous they appear. This obligation is especially true when it comes to upholding public trust in our police department. This investigation and its findings are also a reflection and reaffirmation of Chief Davis’s commitment to the public’s trust and his desire to have this issue fully and openly vetted.”

“As far as I’m concerned, Chief Davis has a clean bill of health, and I’ve never been more confident in his ability to lead our police department,” said Mayor Hunter earlier today.

“While I am not surprised of the outcome, this was a painful process for all involved, especially Chief Davis,” said Karlinsey. “Now that the investigation is behind us, we look forward to the healing process that needs to take place in the department.”

Chief Davis stated, “I’m pleased that the process is over. Our response to this allegation reinforced our resolve to guard the public confidence that is the heart of our mission here at the Gig Harbor Police Department.”

The City of Gig Harbor appreciates the State Patrol’s efforts in dedicating the resources necessary to make sure that this investigation was completed fairly, independently, and thoroughly. The City’s gratitude also goes out to the AGO for their review of the investigation report.

For more information, please contact city administrator Rob Karlinsey at 253-851-6127.