Cy Sun can cross off at least one of the challenges that has cropped up during his tenure as mayor of Pacific after news Thursday from King County Sheriff Steve Strachan.
No criminal charges will be filed against Sun after an investigation into allegations he destroyed public records, assaulted employees and intimidated a public servant, Strachan said.
Sun said Thursday he had no comment on the latest development.
City Council President Leanne Guier asked the sheriff’s office on July 18 to investigate the allegations, as well as allegations of misconduct by members of the city’s police force.
“The investigation was forwarded to the prosecutors, they reviewed it and there is not evidence for criminal charges to be filed,” Strachan said about both investigations.
The sheriff said details about the investigation would have to come from a public disclosure request, but city officials elaborated Thursday on some of the claims.
Witnesses saw Sun throw city documents into a Dumpster and then retrieved them, city attorney Kenyon Luce said. Sun later admitted the disposal at a meeting with city employees, Luce said.
“The mayor admitted to destroying public records and historical documents that belong to the City of Pacific,” Luce said. “There’s no question if he did it. It’s just a question of whether he should be charged with doing it.”
The sheriff’s office investigated the allegations against Sun, and asked the Washington State Patrol to investigate the alleged police misconduct.
The specifics of the allegations concerning the police department aren’t clear, but police Lt. Edwin Massey, one of the officials investigated, said he’d like to know.
“We did a public disclosure request and we would like to review the contents of the investigation,” Massey said. “If I’m doing an investigation with one of my officers, I’m going to be very specific on any misconduct that is involved. I haven’t had anybody that sat down with me and said, ‘Hey, these are the specifics that I’m looking into.’”
Massey was the senior officer working when the mayor was arrested trying to enter the city clerk’s office in July.
He was one of four members of the force Sun sent termination notices to after that incident. The officers’ union advised them to continue working and they did.
Massey thinks the allegations of misconduct were made before the arrest, and isn’t sure who made them.
“I’m just trying to do my job,” Massey said. “I think all the officers here that work for the City of Pacific, we just want to get on and do the things that the community expects us to do.”
Sun still faces a recall campaign seeking to hold a special election before the end of the year to oust him. He’ll also have to deal with the city’s insurance provider, who has said it will stop coverage by the end of the year if the situation doesn’t stabilize.
Alexis Krell: 253-597-8268
alexis.krell@thenewstribune.com
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