Investigative Archive & Links — A curated public record of documented Oregon law enforcement misconduct,
corruption investigations, terminations, lawsuits, and systemic accountability failures.
All entries are sourced from public records, court filings, official agency reports, and credible published journalism.
Links open in a new tab. 60 total records. Last updated: September 2026.
corruption investigations, terminations, lawsuits, and systemic accountability failures.
All entries are sourced from public records, court filings, official agency reports, and credible published journalism.
Links open in a new tab. 60 total records. Last updated: September 2026.
Group A
Washington County Sheriff's Office • Hillsboro PD • Beaverton PD
| Case / Title | Date | Summary | Agency | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaverton PD Detective Indicted for Official Misconduct | 2022 | Former 11-year Beaverton Detective Michael Boliek was indicted on six counts of official misconduct for abusing his badge to solicit sexually explicit photos and using an official vehicle for personal trips. | Beaverton PD | 🔗 KGW News |
| Washington County Sheriff's Office Systemic Culture Review | 2021 | An independent review initiated following deputy misconduct allegations found systemic cultural failures within WCSO, including failures in supervision, discipline, and accountability for repeated offenses. | WCSO | 🔗 OregonLive |
| Hillsboro PD Officer Excessive Force Settlement | 2021 | The City of Hillsboro settled a federal civil rights lawsuit over an officer's use of excessive force during a 2021 arrest, with the plaintiff receiving a six-figure settlement while the officer faced no criminal charges. | Hillsboro PD | 🔗 OregonLive |
| WCSO Deputy Arrested for Domestic Violence | 2020 | A Washington County Sheriff's deputy was arrested on domestic violence charges after an incident involving an intimate partner, raising questions about the department's vetting and early-warning protocols. | WCSO | 🔗 KOIN 6 |
| Beaverton PD Pursuit Policy Violations | 2021 | An internal affairs investigation found that multiple Beaverton officers violated department pursuit policies in separate incidents, contributing to civilian injuries. Corrective action was limited to additional training rather than termination. | Beaverton PD | 🔗 KPTV |
| WCSO Deputy Rian Alden Pleads Guilty — Slammed Handcuffed Inmate, Had Racist Social Media Posts | 2020 / 2023 | Deputy Rian Alden was indicted and later pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree assault and official misconduct for aggressively slamming a handcuffed inmate into a wall. The investigation was reopened after old posts revealed he had used racist language online. | WCSO | 🔗 OPB |
| "Salsa-gate" Retaliation Lawsuit — WCSO Settles for $950,000 | Apr 2025 | Washington County paid $950,000 to Deputy Melissa Canning, who alleged severe systemic retaliation — including being placed under criminal investigation for eating a minor portion of bean dip — after whistleblowing on a coworker for dishonesty. | WCSO | 🔗 OPB |
| Jury Awards $800,000 — WCSO Deputy Racially Barred Public Defenders from Courtroom | Early 2026 | A jury awarded $800,000 to two public defenders — both women of color — concluding a Washington County sheriff's deputy racially discriminated against them by deliberately barring them from entering a courtroom on two separate occasions. | WCSO | 🔗 OPB |
| WCSO Corporal Jonathan Christensen Convicted — Strangulation and Assault of Fellow Deputy | 2017 | Former WCSO Corporal Jonathan Christensen pleaded guilty to strangulation, coercion, and official misconduct for assaulting another deputy. He lost his DPSST law enforcement certification and was sentenced to probation. | WCSO | 🔗 Hillsboro News Times |
| WCSO Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit — Systemic Sexual Harassment and Hostile Work Environment | 2017 | Following Corporal Christensen's conviction, Deputy Angela Branford filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Washington County alleging a pervasive hostile work environment characterized by systemic sexual harassment and assault by multiple superiors over years. | WCSO | 🔗 Federal Court |
| WCSO Settles Deputy Sexual Harassment Claims for $175,000 | Feb 2023 | Washington County paid $175,000 to a former deputy who alleged years of sexual harassment by WCSO Patrol Corporal Tyler Whitely. The settlement followed federal court filings and an arbitration report that substantiated the misconduct allegations. | WCSO | 🔗 OregonLive |
| Disability Rights Oregon Class-Action — WCSO Discriminates Against Mental Health 911 Callers | 2021 | Disability Rights Oregon filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Washington County alleging the sheriff's office discriminates against people in mental health crises by systematically dispatching armed deputies instead of appropriate healthcare professionals to 911 calls. | WCSO | 🔗 OPB |
| WCSO Gang Detective and Prosecutor Exchanged Racist Texts — "Convicted Mexicans" Fiesta Jokes | 2022 | Public records requests exposed text messages between a Washington County gang detective and a prosecutor exchanging racist remarks, including jokes about throwing a "fiesta" to celebrate "convicted Mexicans," triggering internal investigations and prosecutorial review of affected cases. | WCSO | 🔗 OPB |
| Hillsboro Settles Wrongful Arrest Lawsuit for $550,000 — Man Jailed Six Days for Crimes He Didn't Commit | 2014 / 2015 | Adam Horstman was wrongfully arrested without probable cause and jailed six days for pharmacy robberies he had no involvement in. Hillsboro settled his federal civil rights lawsuit for $550,000 after investigators failed to perform basic verification before arrest. | Hillsboro PD | 🔗 OPB |
| Hillsboro Police Manager Files Whistleblower Retaliation Lawsuit After Raising Bias Concerns | 2021 | Support services manager Cynthia Young Bolek filed a federal lawsuit and BOLI complaint alleging she was placed on leave in retaliation after raising internal concerns about officer bias and the mishandling of body-worn camera footage by Hillsboro PD. | Hillsboro PD | 🔗 OregonLive |
| Hillsboro Settles Racial Discrimination Lawsuit — Biased Police Report Led to Resident's Eviction | 2022 | The City of Hillsboro paid a $90,000 settlement to resident Jean Coppedge, resolving a lawsuit alleging officers wrote a racially biased police report that directly caused her eviction from her home — a civil rights violation found actionable by the court. | Hillsboro PD | 🔗 Hillsboro News Times |
| Hillsboro Officers Tasered Man Twice During Bicycle Stop — Federal Excessive Force Lawsuit | 2014 | Jermaine Robinson filed a federal lawsuit against Hillsboro Officers William Blood and Brian Wilbur, alleging they tackled and tasered him twice during a minor bicycle traffic stop, causing a herniated disk requiring surgery. The suit cited racial profiling and excessive force. | Hillsboro PD | 🔗 BikePortland |
| Off-Duty Hillsboro Officer Timothy Cannon Arrested for Attempted Aggravated Murder of Wife | 2013 | Hillsboro Police Officer Timothy Cannon was arrested and charged with attempted aggravated murder and unlawful use of a weapon stemming from a severe domestic disturbance involving his wife and responding law enforcement officers. | Hillsboro PD | 🔗 OregonLive |
| Beaverton Officer Joshua Jensen Sentenced to Prison — Solicited Sex On-Duty in Patrol Car | 2010 / 2012 | Officer Joshua Michael Jensen was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to official misconduct, coercion, and prostitution for using his uniform and marked patrol car to meet a woman for sex while on duty. The victim later filed a federal lawsuit against him and the city. | Beaverton PD | 🔗 Prison Legal News |
| Beaverton Pays $19,000 Settlement — Officer Arrested Man for Recording Police, Deleted Footage | 2008 / 2010 | Beaverton paid a $19,000 settlement to Hao Xeng Vang after he was arrested and jailed for recording officers making an arrest at a bowling alley. The arresting officer deleted his recording and applied Oregon eavesdropping statutes to criminalize constitutionally protected documentation of police activity. | Beaverton PD | 🔗 Willamette Week |
Group B
Portland Police Bureau • Multnomah County Sheriff's Office
| Case / Title | Date | Summary | Agency | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Police Bureau DOJ Consent Decree | 2012 | The U.S. DOJ found PPB engaged in a pattern of unconstitutional use of force against people with mental illness, leading to a Settlement Agreement and years of federal oversight that continued through the decade. | PPB | 🔗 DOJ.gov |
| PPB Officer Ely Harmon Fired for Dishonesty | 2019 | Portland Police Officer Ely Harmon was fired after an internal investigation concluded he had lied in official reports and to investigators — one of several dishonesty-related terminations at PPB in a three-year span. | PPB | 🔗 Portland Mercury |
| Multnomah County Jail Deaths Investigation | 2021 | An investigation into a series of in-custody deaths at Multnomah County Detention Center revealed failures in medical screening, isolation protocols, and emergency response, prompting state and federal scrutiny of MCSO operations. | MCSO | 🔗 OPB |
| PPB Rapid Response Team Disbanded After Federal Findings | 2020 | Following federal court findings that PPB's Rapid Response Team used unlawful crowd control tactics during 2020 protests — including indiscriminate use of munitions — the unit was temporarily disbanded and its practices overhauled. | PPB | 🔗 OregonLive |
| MCSO Sergeant Demoted After Misconduct Finding | 2020 | A Multnomah County Sheriff's sergeant was demoted following an internal affairs finding of misconduct related to inappropriate conduct toward a subordinate deputy, with critics arguing the penalty was insufficient given the severity of the findings. | MCSO | 🔗 KGW News |
| Portland Police Union Contract Blocks Accountability Reforms | 2021 | Investigative reporting revealed that provisions in the Portland Police Association's collective bargaining agreement systematically limit the city's ability to discipline officers, purge misconduct records, and implement civilian oversight recommendations. | PPB | 🔗 Willamette Week |
| PPB Detective Charged with Evidence Tampering | 2020 | A Portland Police detective was charged with evidence tampering and official misconduct after investigators found that evidence had been improperly handled in a narcotics case, leading to the dismissal of multiple prosecutions. | PPB | 🔗 OregonLive |
| Record $3.75M Settlement — Immanueal Clark-Johnson Shooting | Aug 2025 | Portland City Council approved its largest-ever individual settlement — $3.75 million — to the family of Immanueal Clark-Johnson, who was fatally shot in the back by PPB Officer Christopher Sathoff. The officer faced no discipline. | PPB | 🔗 KGW News |
| ~$4M Settlement — Det. Erik Kammerer Excessive Force (2020 Protests) | Aug 2025 | Portland City Council authorized nearly $4 million to resolve multiple civil rights claims — including excessive force allegations against PPB Detective Erik Kammerer during the 2020 protest period. | PPB | 🔗 Portland Mercury |
| $300,000 Settlement — Man Wrongfully Imprisoned Due to PPB Investigation Errors | Late 2025 | Portland settled for $300,000 with a man who was wrongfully imprisoned for an overdose death that investigators determined never actually occurred, after PPB's original investigation contained critical evidentiary errors that led to his prosecution. | PPB | 🔗 KGW News |
| PPB 27-Year Veteran Jimmy Lee Pryce Jr. Sentenced for Domestic Violence Strangulation | Jul 2026 | PPB 27-year veteran Officer Jimmy Lee Pryce Jr. was sentenced to 60 days in jail for domestic violence strangulation and assault against a former girlfriend, underscoring persistent failures to screen out officers with histories of interpersonal violence. | PPB | 🔗 Clackamas County |
| PPB Officer Corey Budworth Indicted — Baton Strike on Photojournalist | Jun 2021 | PPB Officer Corey Budworth was indicted on misdemeanor fourth-degree assault for striking a photojournalist in the head with a baton during a 2020 protest, one of the first Portland officers criminally charged for protest-era use of force. | PPB | 🔗 OPB |
| Officer Brian Hunzeker Fired for Leaking False Report About City Commissioner, Then Reinstated by Arbitrator | 2021 / 2023 | PPB Officer Brian Hunzeker was fired for leaking a fabricated hit-and-run report about City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, but an arbitrator later forced his reinstatement — illustrating how union arbitration can override accountability decisions. | PPB | 🔗 Willamette Week |
| PPB Officer Fired — Unlawful Arrest of Citizen Lawfully Recording Investigation | Jan 2026 | A PPB officer was terminated after internal investigation confirmed they made an unlawful arrest of a citizen who was lawfully recording a roadside police investigation — an act protected under both Oregon law and the First Amendment. | PPB | 🔗 OregonLive |
| Retired PPB Officer Scott Groshong Indicted on Nine Counts — Hit Suspect with Van | Oct 2020 | Undercover PPB officer Scott Groshong was indicted on nine counts including felony assault and hit-and-run after intentionally striking a suspect with his unmarked van and then fleeing the scene without rendering aid. | PPB | 🔗 KGW News |
| Former PPB Chief Larry O'Dea Indicted — Shot Hunting Companion, Covered It Up | 2016 | Former PPB Chief Larry O'Dea was criminally indicted for negligently wounding a friend during a hunting trip and attempting to cover up the incident — the chief of a major U.S. city's police department indicted for a criminal offense while in office. | PPB | 🔗 OPB |
| Michelle Fawcett Lawsuit — Severe Injuries from PPB Flash-Bang at Protest | 2019 | Michelle Fawcett filed a lawsuit against the City of Portland after suffering severe, permanent injuries when a flash-bang grenade was fired by PPB directly at her during a protest, raising questions about the lawful deployment of less-lethal munitions. | PPB | 🔗 OPB |
| MCSO Deputy Edwin Diaz Arrested — ~24 Charges of Sexual Abuse of Female Inmates | Jun 2025 | Former Multnomah County corrections deputy Edwin Diaz was arrested and charged with approximately 24 crimes involving sexual abuse and official misconduct against female inmates at the county jail, one of the most serious in-custody abuse cases in MCSO history. | MCSO | 🔗 OPB |
| MCSO Corrections Deputy Pleads Guilty to Official Misconduct | Feb 2025 | A Multnomah County corrections deputy pleaded guilty to official misconduct, with the plea agreement requiring immediate resignation and surrender of their DPSST law enforcement certification — ending their ability to work in Oregon law enforcement. | MCSO | 🔗 MCSO |
| MCSO Deputy Resigns After Sentencing for Falsifying Inmate Welfare Check Records | Mar 2025 | A Multnomah County deputy resigned following sentencing for falsifying official records documenting mandatory welfare and security checks on inmates — checks designed to prevent in-custody deaths that went unperformed despite records claiming otherwise. | MCSO | 🔗 KGW News |
Group C
Statewide • Oregon State Police • DPSST • Dept. of Corrections • DOJ
| Case / Title | Date | Summary | Agency | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon DPSST Decertification Failures Report | 2022 | A legislative audit found DPSST had significant backlogs and procedural failures in decertifying officers found guilty of serious misconduct, allowing some to continue in law enforcement roles across the state. | DPSST | 🔗 OR Legislature |
| Oregon State Police Trooper Convicted of Sexual Abuse | 2019 | An Oregon State Police trooper was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse of a person in his custody following a traffic stop, raising serious questions about OSP screening and supervision practices for patrol officers. | OSP | 🔗 OPB |
| Oregon AG Settles Prison Abuse Class-Action | 2020 | The Oregon AG's Office settled a class-action lawsuit alleging systematic physical abuse of incarcerated persons at DOC facilities, with the state paying millions while denying systemic wrongdoing. | Oregon DOJ | 🔗 Oregon DOJ |
| SB 111 Reform Audit — Gaps in Officer Accountability Implementation | 2022 | An independent audit of SB 111's implementation found key provisions inconsistently applied across jurisdictions, with rural agencies showing the lowest compliance rates — undermining Oregon's landmark 2021 police reform law. | Statewide | 🔗 OregonLive |
| Oregon DOC Guards Fired for Inmate Abuse | 2021 | Multiple Oregon DOC corrections officers were terminated after internal investigation confirmed unauthorized physical force on restrained inmates at Oregon State Correctional Institution, with some cases referred for criminal prosecution. | OR DOC | 🔗 OPB |
| Oregon Legislature — Law Enforcement Data Transparency Failure | 2022 | Despite legislative mandates, agencies statewide failed to submit required use-of-force and officer misconduct data to the state, undermining accountability mechanisms passed in 2020–2021 reform packages. | Statewide | 🔗 OregonLive |
| DPSST Director Resignation Amid Credentialing Controversy | 2023 | The DPSST director resigned following public reporting on irregularities in the officer certification process, including allegations that public complaints were systematically deprioritized or closed without investigation. | DPSST | 🔗 Willamette Week |
| Oregon Statewide Use-of-Force Racial Disparity Findings | 2023 | Analysis of statewide use-of-force data showed Black and Indigenous Oregonians were subjected to force at rates significantly disproportionate to their share of police contacts — confirmed by a DOJ-commissioned statistical review. | Statewide | 🔗 OPB |
| OSP Senior Trooper Darrin Phillips Convicted of Theft — Embezzled Fallen Officers' Memorial Fund | 2024 | Senior OSP trooper and Oregon State Police Officers Association executive director Darrin Phillips pleaded guilty to first-degree theft for embezzling donations meant for families of fallen officers to cover personal expenses. | OSP | 🔗 Bend Bulletin |
| OSP Trooper Jose Antonio Cortez Pleads Guilty — Fondled Woman During Traffic Stop | 2013 | Six-year OSP veteran Jose Antonio Cortez pleaded guilty to official misconduct after being accused of fondling a woman during a traffic stop. He resigned and surrendered his DPSST certification as part of a plea agreement designed to avoid full sex crime charges. | OSP | 🔗 Prison Legal News |
| OSP Patrol Sergeant Malcolm Todd Lewis Resigns — Stole Meth from Evidence Locker | 2011 | OSP patrol sergeant Malcolm Todd Lewis resigned and pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and official misconduct after investigators found he had repeatedly removed meth from the police evidence locker for personal use over multiple years. | OSP | 🔗 East Oregonian |
| OSP Trooper Michael Kendoll Fired for Lying — Lawsuit Alleges Systemic Cover-Up | 2024 | Trooper Michael Kendoll was fired for lying to internal investigators about an inappropriate on-duty relationship. His subsequent lawsuit alleged that OSP leadership colluded with the union to selectively cover up widespread misconduct across the agency. | OSP | 🔗 Willamette Week |
| OSP Supervisor Jeffrey Allison Demoted — Eight Years of Racist Slurs Hidden from Prosecutors | 2018 | OSP supervisor Jeffrey A. Allison was demoted and allowed to retire quietly after using racist slurs repeatedly over eight years. Reports later revealed OSP leadership attempted to conceal his misconduct from prosecutors handling cases he had worked on. | OSP | 🔗 OregonLive |
| Class-Action Racial Profiling Lawsuit Against OSP Trooper Travis Peterson — Multiple Cases Dismissed | 2022 | A class-action lawsuit accused OSP Trooper Travis Peterson of unconstitutional racial profiling on I-5 targeting minority drivers. Multiple criminal cases stemming from his stops were subsequently dismissed after courts found his searches were unlawful. | OSP | 🔗 Associated Press |
| Deer Ridge Prison Supervisor Christine Zamora — $122,500 Settlement for Sexual Abuse of Inmate | 2026 | The state paid $122,500 to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed by an inmate alleging sexual abuse by Deer Ridge Correctional Institution work-program supervisor Christine Zamora, who was fired and later pleaded guilty to custodial sexual misconduct. | OR DOC | 🔗 Corrections1 |
| Coffee Creek Prison Nurse Tony Daniel Klein Indicted — Sexually Assaulted 12 Female Inmates | 2022 | Former Coffee Creek Correctional Facility nurse Tony Daniel Klein was federally indicted for sexually assaulting approximately 12 female inmates between 2016 and 2017, facing multiple counts of aggravated sexual abuse and perjury before a federal grand jury. | OR DOC | 🔗 DOJ.gov |
| Oregon Pays $295,000 — Transgender Woman Sexually Assaulted in Men's Prison | 2026 | The state settled a lawsuit for $295,000 filed by a transgender woman who alleged severe sexual assault while housed in a men's prison, highlighting systemic failures in protective custody placement for vulnerable incarcerated individuals. | OR DOC | 🔗 East Oregonian |
| DOC Administrator Joe Bugher Files $6.9M Whistleblower Lawsuit — Fired After Reporting Medical Failures | 2026 | Former Oregon DOC top administrator Joe Bugher filed a $6.9 million wrongful termination lawsuit, alleging he was fired in retaliation for blowing the whistle on substandard medical care and misuse of public funds within the prison system. | OR DOC | 🔗 Corrections1 |
| Former DOC Assistant Director Nathaline Frener Files $1.6M Whistleblower Lawsuit | 2023 | Nathaline Frener, former assistant director of the Correctional Services Division, filed a $1.6 million whistleblower lawsuit alleging she was abruptly fired after reporting illegal and improper actions by her superiors within the Department of Corrections. | OR DOC | 🔗 OPB |
| State Risk Assessor Sues Alleging Retaliation After Criticizing Oregon DOJ Lawyers | 2020 | A state risk assessor sued the Oregon Department of Administrative Services alleging retaliation after raising concerns about Oregon DOJ lawyers who ignored legal advice, cost the state unnecessary litigation losses, and exhibited hostile conduct toward female colleagues. | Oregon DOJ | 🔗 Willamette Week |