PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Washington County jail deputy recently put on leave over a 2003 email used racial epithets was indicted Friday for using force during a 2018 jail booking.
Rian Alden was investigated for the incident by both the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Police at that time. But the Washington County DA said there was insufficient evidence to prosecute and didn’t proceed with any charges.
The email was sent four years prior to his hiring. The Sheriff’s Office said the email’s contents were “entirely inconsistent with the core values and professional standards at the Sheriff’s Office.”
But after the 16-year-old email surface at the end of May and Alden was put on leave, the Washington County DA’s office re-opened the criminal case against Alden for the use-of-force incident.
On Friday, the case was presented to a grand jury, who charged Alden with 1st-degree official misconduct, a misdemeanor.
In a statement, Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett said, “Given new information available in this case, I understand and support the District Attorney’s decision to present the evidence to a grand jury. I thank the grand jury for their time and respect their decision.”
