Live Updates: Newspaper carrier Sheriff Troyer called cops on testifies in trial
After attorneys questioned six witnesses Monday in Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer’s criminal trial, the former newspaper carrier who Troyer reported to 911 dispatchers for threatening his life in a 2021 encounter was set to testify Tuesday.
Troyer’s distress call to a law enforcement-only line Jan. 27, 2021 dispatched dozens of officers to his neighborhood, though most were called off when Tacoma police arrived. The driver Troyer reported was Sedrick Altheimer, a then-24-year-old Black man who has since alleged in a $5 million tort claim against Pierce County that the confrontation subjected him to “racial profiling, false arrest and unnecessary use of excessive force.”
In this case, Troyer is charged with one count of false reporting and one count of making a false or misleading statement to a public servant, both misdemeanors. With no criminal history, a conviction on each charge would carry penalties of up to a year in jail and up to a $5,000 fine.
The News Tribune is providing live updates of the proceedings, and the trial is being livestreamed on our website.
9:14 a.m.: Altheimer took the stand and was sworn in to testify.
State assistant attorney general Melanie Tratnik began by asking Altheimer how he started delivering newspapers. He said he’s been doing it for eight to nine years and he got into it through his family. He said other relatives have delivered newspapers. Altheimer said he delivered for The News Tribune, The Seattle Times, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
9:19 a.m.: Tratnik asked Altheimer about his newspaper routes. He said he had three routes at the time of the confrontation with Troyer, and he was delivering more than 400 newspapers each day, which took him three hours.
9:23 a.m.: Altheimer was asked if he is ever encountered by police or civilians while delivering. He said yes, and estimated it occurs about twice a month. Tratnik asked him to break down how those situations resolve themselves between police and civilians. Altheimer said police generally stop, watch what he’s doing and then turn on their lights to get his attention. Once they ask what he’s doing, Altheimer said the police decide what they want to do.
Altheimer said civilians are generally more local, but sometimes they just sit in a car from a distance and watch.
9:27 a.m.: Tratnik asked Altheimer about any encounters that went beyond that, and he began recounting a time three years ago when he called police on a man who was following him. The defense made an objection on relevance, and the jury was sent to the jury room while attorneys discussed with Judge Jeffrey Jahns whether Tratnik could question Altheimer about this incident.
9:40 a.m.: Jahns said he will allow the state to question Altheimer about this incident. The jury returned to the courtroom.
9:43 a.m.: Tratnik asked Altheimer if there was second incident where he was followed. He said at one time, a black SUV blocked him into a driveway while he was delivering newspapers. Altheimer said the man was Josh Harris, a former candidate for Pierce County Council. He said Harris told him he was a cop and told him to leave.
9:46 a.m.: Tratnik moved to questions about the day the confrontation with Troyer occurred, Jan. 27, 2021.
9:50 a.m.: Using a map set up in the courtroom, Altheimer was asked to point out different locations on his newspaper route where he saw Troyer’s white SUV.
9:55 a.m.: Altheimer said he was walking back to his car from delivering a newspaper when he first encountered Troyer. He said he recognized his face but couldn’t put a name to it. From about an arms-length away from the SUV, Altheimer said he asked the man why he was following him, is he a cop and was he following him because he’s Black.
Tratnik asked whether Troyer answered any of his questions. Altheimer said no, and that Troyer told him he had several cars on the way. “Congratulations,” Altheimer said he told him, and he drove to his next stop while Troyer tried to verbally stop him from leaving.
Altheimer said he delivered his next two newspapers quickly. “I knew he was coming for me,” Altheimer said. “He pulled a U-turn in the middle of the street.”
10:05 a.m.: Altheimer said Troyer arrived at that second location, and he started taking pictures of the white SUV. About seven minutes later, he said he heard the sounds of vehicles approaching and, in the rearview mirror, saw more vehicles approaching that turned out to be police.
Tratnik asked what happened after police arrived. Altheimer said he was held at gunpoint, questioned and pulled out of his vehicle. He said he was “ranting” when police approached. Altheimer said he was feeling afraid and frustrated.
Tratnik asked if police told him why they were there. Altheimer said an officer told him they were there because the driver of the white SUV was the Pierce County sheriff. He said that was the first time he learned who the driver was who was following him.
10:17 a.m.: Tratnik began asking Altheimer about a $5 million lawsuit he brought against Pierce County. Asked why he sued, Altheimer said he wanted a fair trial, justice and that he wanted Troyer to be held accountable for wasting resources.
10:20 a.m.: Altheimer was asked about a GoFundMe someone started for him after the encounter with Troyer to raise money for a new car. Asked if he received the money from the fundraiser, Altheimer said he did, and that it has since been closed. According to the webpage, the fundraiser brought in $8,865 of donations and appears to still accept donations.
Tratnik then asked Altheimer if he went home after police released him during the confrontation with Troyer. Altheimer said he still had about 200 newspapers to deliver, which he did.
The attorney for the state also asked Altheimer about throwing a newspaper to Troyer’s home the next day, and why he did it. Altheimer told Tratnik that Troyer wasn’t a subscriber, but that he said he delivered one because he wanted to let him know that he delivers newspapers, and Altheimer described himself as “kind of a smart A-S-S,” spelling out the letters as he said it.
Tratnik then asked Altheimer some rapid-fire questions:
“Mr. Altheimer, did you ever threaten to kill the defendant?” “No”
“Did you verbally threaten him in any way?” “No”
“Did you ever tell him you were going to take him out or words to that effect?” “No”
“Did you display a weapon or anything that could be perceived as a weapon?” “No”
“Did you ever physically threaten the defendant in any way?” “No”
10:27 a.m.: The state passed Altheimer to the defense for questioning, and the court went into a brief recess.
10:55 a.m.: Court resumed and defense attorney Anne Bremner told the judge that Altheimer’s mother has been in the courtroom this morning observing. The state said they did not know she was here. Tratnik said she ran into her in the bathroom and made small talk with her before the mother identified herself. Bremner said the defense now wouldn’t be able to call her as a witness.
Visiting Kitsap County District Court Judge Jeffrey Jahns said he wouldn’t prohibit the defense from calling Altheimer’s mother as a witness.
Bremner also asked to be able to enter evidence that Altheimer’s license was previously suspended and that he was under Department of Corrections supervision. Jahns said he didn’t see the connection to any anti-police bias Altheimer might have had.
11:04 a.m.: Bremner began questioning Altheimer, starting by asking whether it was fair to say that the confrontation he just testified to was “a non event.” Altheimer said no.
Bremner asked about how dark it is on Altheimer’s newspaper routes. He said it depends on the street, but it was dark where the encounter with Troyer occurred. The defense attorney asked if he could determine Troyer’s race, and Altheimer said he saw that earlier in the night. Bremner asked Altheimer whether Troyer would have been able to see what race he was, and Altheimer said he can’t answer for Troyer.
The defense attorney then began asking Altheimer about an encounter he had at Josh Harris’ home when he delivered a newspaper there after Harris followed him on his route. Altheimer said he went to the home at about 3 a.m., knocked on the door, and Harris and his wife opened it.
11:15 a.m.: The jury was briefly sent back to the jury room while attorneys discussed with the judge how Altheimer could be questioned about alleged facts from Harris.
11:20 a.m.: After the jury returned, Bremner asked Altheimer whether he ever went to anyone else’s door after midnight. Altheimer said the only person aside from Harris was Troyer.
11:26 a.m.: Bremner handed a stack of paper to Altheimer that she said was from his boss, Darren Steiner, and contained about 4,000 complaints against him in 2021 and 2022. Steiner testified Monday that he’s never received a personal complaint about Altheimer, but that he had complaints about missed deliveries, misplaced papers and wet newsprint.
11:35 a.m.: The defense attorney returned to the confrontation with Troyer, asking Altheimer about how he knew he was held at gunpoint by police. Altheimer said officers were yelling at him to stop moving and didn’t give him a chance to look at them, so he didn’t actually see them pointing firearms at him.
Bremner asked Altheimer whether he confronted Troyer first. Altheimer said no. Pressed further, Altheimer said he went up to Troyer’s car to ask him why he was following him. She also asked how Troyer would have known Altheimer was a newspaper carrier. “I don’t know,” Altheimer said. The man said he never told Troyer he was a newspaper carrier that night.
As Bremner went over the timeline of the encounter with Troyer, Altheimer said she was mixing it up and that her question was misleading. “I don’t want to do that, I’m here for truth,” Bremner said. “So am I,” Altheimer said.
11:46 a.m.: The defense played body camera footage from former officer Corey Ventura, which appeared to show Altheimer being directed out of his car during the encounter with Troyer. Altheimer agreed he was upset at that time, and that he was swearing.
11:55 a.m.: Bremner asked Altheimer whether he ever said “cops are trained killers.” He said he had, but he didn’t know to whom. Bremner then asked whether he flashed his lights at Troyer during the encounter. Altheimer said he had, and that he and Troyer got into a “flashing battle.” She also asked whether he ever heard Troyer say about him “He’s working, let him go do his job.” Altheimer said he didn’t hear that.
The defense also asked about interviews Altheimer gave to the media. He said the first person to reach out to him was Jim Brunner at The Seattle Times, and that he later gave an interview to Joyce Taylor for television station KING 5.
11:59 a.m.: The jury was sent to a lunch break.
As the jury went to lunch, the attorneys argued whether Altheimer’s lawsuit against Pierce County could be entered as evidence. Jahns ruled that it could not be admitted, and the court went into a recess until 1 p.m.
1:50 p.m.: Court resumes and defense attorney Bremner is arguing that the claim document in Altheimer’s lawsuit should be admitted into evidence to ask Altheimer about statements he made in the document about the confrontation with Troyer. Jahns ruled that the defense would be allowed to present it to Altheimer to ask whether he signed the document. The claim is still not admitted into evidence.
1:57 p.m.: Altheimer took the witness stand again, and the jury returned to the courtroom.
Bremner asked Altheimer if he was let go every other time he was stopped by law enforcement. Altheimer said he was, and he agreed that nothing resulted from those interactions such as criminal charges. Bremner asked if it was fair to say that police saw something suspicious, but when they realized he was a newspaper carrier they let him go. Altheimer said yes. Bremner then asked if it was fair to say that’s what happened with Troyer. Altheimer said no.
2:06 p.m.: Bremner brought up Altheimer’s boss at work, Darren Steiner, and told him that he testified that he has been pulled over by police as well. Bremner asked whether Altheimer talked to him about interactions with police. Altheimer said he notified him of the Troyer confrontation, and he typically told him about any encounters with police.
2:12 p.m.: Bremner returned to questions about the GoFundMe started for Altheimer. An image of the fundraiser was displayed that showed that $8,865 was raised. Altheimer said he used the money to buy a 1997 Toyota Camry.
2:15 p.m.: Then the defense attorney started asking Altheimer about meeting with Jim Brunner from The Seattle Times. Altheimer said he isn’t sure how Brunner found out about him, and that the reporter traveled to him to meet with him.
2:17 p.m.: The jury was sent back into the jury room after the state made an objection to Bremner reading a quote from The Seattle Times story regarding Altheimer’s encounter with Troyer. Judge Jahns said the court can’t determine the accuracy of any media reports during the trial. He said she would be allowed to ask Altheimer about statements he made to Brunner.
2:23 p.m.: Bremner asked Altheimer about whether he made certain statements to Brunner. Altheimer said he told the reporter that a police officer drew a gun during the encounter, and that at one point he told police “You’re arresting a newspaper carrier.”
As the defense attorney finished her questioning, she asked Altheimer if it was fair to say nothing happened in the encounter with Troyer. “No, I almost lost my life,” Altheimer said. Bremner said they had already established that police didn’t draw their guns, and Altheimer chuckled at that remark. “If you say so,” he said. Bremner said the police said they didn’t pull their guns.
Bremner said the encounter was a “non-event” and she asked whether he said anything that could be considered threatening to the sheriff. Altheimer said no.
“So they all responded based on what we just talked about, a non-event, correct?” Bremner said.
“If that’s what you call it, yes” Altheimer said.
“That is what I call it, except for today,” Bremner said. “Thank you.”
2:30 p.m.: The state gets to question Altheimer again. Tratnik asked him why he was laughing.
Altheimer said he laughed because Bremner called the encounter a non-event, and he said he thought it was a “traumatic” and “significant” event that attracted a lot of police for a report that someone’s life had been threatened.
Tratnik also asked how Altheimer knew there were guns drawn.
“When you are sitting in a vehicle and you are Black, and cops surround you, guns are drawn,” Altheimer said. “They don’t know what my threat level is. They didn’t know who I was, and they came to that scene because somebody had lied to them to make a bigger deal.”
Then Tratnik returned to the GoFundMe, asking whether Altheimer’s lawyer had anything to do with setting it up. He said his attorney didn’t know about it until he informed her about it. Tratnik asked why his lawyer’s name was still on the page. Altheimer said that when he was asked to be the beneficiary for the fundraiser, he didn’t have a bank account, so he asked his lawyer to handle it. Altheimer said the money went directly to his lawyer, who sent it to him.
2:39 p.m.: The court went into a brief afternoon recess.
3:01 pm.: Court resumed. The defense will now get to question Altheimer again.
Bremner only asked to clarify with Altheimer that by “non-event” she only meant to refer to what happened before police responded. Altheimer said he understood. That concluded her questioning.
The state said it didn’t have further questions for Altheimer.
3:04 p.m.: Altheimer left the witness stand.
This story was originally published December 6, 2022 at 9:15 AM.
