Ex-Pierce County Sheriff’s deputy appears in court on felony harassment charge
The former Pierce County Sheriff’s Office deputy accused of threatening to kill his wife’s boyfriend in a November phone call pleaded not guilty in court Tuesday and was not taken into custody.
Prosecutors last month accused Edgar Ruiz, 36, of felony harassment with threats to kill based on a Sheriff’s Office investigation, which alleged that Ruiz told the boyfriend he would put “a bullet in his dome,” and he would get “bits and pieces of his son” if he didn’t stop talking to his wife.
Ruiz denied the allegations in a statement his attorney sent to the Sheriff’s Office. The law enforcement agency fired Ruiz effective May 28, according to a spokesperson. He was hired in 2022 and worked patrol throughout the county. Due to the investigation, Ruiz had been on desk duty since late January.
Court documents in the criminal case, ongoing divorce proceedings between Ruiz and his wife and the wife’s petition for a domestic-violence protection order — denied in March when neither party appeared for a hearing — describe how the couple’s marriage broke down in the last nine months over dueling accusations of infidelity and the wife’s new boyfriend.
At the arraignment Tuesday morning, Superior Court Commissioner Barbara McInvaille ordered Ruiz to surrender any firearms or other dangerous weapons he possessed and not have contact with his wife’s 29-year-old boyfriend for five years. McInvaille said Ruiz’s communication with his wife should be limited to parenting issues, the commissioner ordered.
The former deputy appeared in court wearing a gray sweatshirt and black pants. He responded “Yes, your honor,” to basic questions about his name and date of birth from McInvaille before a not-guilty plea was entered.
McInvaille then heard arguments from Ruiz’s defense attorney, Daniel Sheed, regarding probable cause. Sheed argued that based on the probable cause document filed by prosecutors, the alleged victim in the case didn’t seem to be in genuine fear that Ruiz would follow through on his alleged threat.
“The alleged victim noted that in the alleged communication with Mr. Ruiz that he was ... ‘not scared of you,’” Ruiz said. “And the communication seemed to be largely reflecting this kind of banter between the two individuals.”
Sheed also referred to statements Ruiz’s wife made to investigators about text messages Ruiz allegedly sent the boyfriend in November. According to the probable cause document, the texts told the boyfriend to stop talking to Ruiz’s wife and threatened his mother, sister and son. In an interview with investigators, Ruiz’s wife reportedly said that Ruiz wouldn’t hurt anyone.
Deputy prosecuting attorney Sarah Eaquinto countered by telling McInvaille that the boyfriend’s statement of “I’m not scared of you” needed to be viewed in a broader context. She said the boyfriend reached out to law enforcement a number of times and expressed significant concern for the safety of himself, his children and other family members.
“I do believe that throughout this incident report it clearly communicates that the victim was afraid of what the defendant could do, especially because of the fact that the defendant is a law enforcement officer who has not only access to firearms and weapons, but other databases that could provide him information about the victim and his family,” Eaquinto said.
McInvaille said the bottom line was that these were just allegations, and that these issues are best determined at trial. She said she found probable cause to continue with this charge.
Prosecutors and the defense then discussed Ruiz’s conditions of release. Both sides agreed that Ruiz, who has no prior criminal history, should be released on his personal recognizance.
Ruiz will have to report to pretrial services for monthly check-ins. His next court date was set for June 30. A trial date was set for August 17. Initial trial dates are often delayed.
This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 11:28 AM.
