Sheriff’s sergeant arrested in assault case released pending out-of-county review

A Pierce County sheriff’s deputy arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault has been released from jail pending a charging decision by out-of-county prosecutors.

The Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office initially sent the case against 48-year-old Robert Glen Carpenter to the Thurston County prosecutor after Tacoma police arrested the veteran sergeant early Oct. 5. Information about exactly why Carpenter was arrested has not been released.

Pierce County authorities said requesting an outside agency to consider possible charges was standard practice to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Several days later, Thurston County Prosecutor Jon Tunheim authorized the case being sent back to Pierce County because his office didn’t see an issue with Pierce County handling it, a spokeswoman for Tunheim said.

Pierce County then asked the Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office to look at the case.

Kitsap chief deputy prosecutor Chad Enright said Monday the office had received the investigation and reviewed most of the supporting documents.

“We’ve asked law enforcement for some follow-up investigation before we make a charging decision,” Enright said via email. “I don’t have a timetable on a decision right now. But, we do have the case and are now working on it.”

He said he wants to make a decision soon, “but we want to have all the evidence in place.”

The News Tribune does not generally name suspects before they have been charged with a crime but is making an exception in Carpenter’s case because he is in a position of public trust.

Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said following Carpenter’s arrest that he would be on administrative leave during the investigation.

That could be unpaid if he’s charged with a felony and paid leave if he’s not, Troyer said.

Carpenter, who was released from jail Oct. 6, has worked for the department for 25 years.

He was arrested twice on the same day in 2007 on suspicion of drunken driving in Chelan County, according to The News Tribune archives.

He agreed to treatment for alcohol abuse and got a deferred prosecution.

This story was originally published October 22, 2018 at 3:11 PM.