If Lake Bonny's water level has been looking a little high lately Lakeland city staff have agreed and are taking action Lakeland can choose to begin operating the pump when Lake Bonny reaches 129.6 feet It still has to ensure Lake Parker is at or below 130.82 feet before beginning to move water Sherrouse said Lake Bonny was measured at 129.5 feet in elevation "It has lowered since the weekend down to 129.46 [feet]." 'My entire house for $9,400': Months after Milton, Lake Bonny residents remain in limbo Representatives from Swiftmud did come to Lakeland last week to survey Lake Bonny and check that the city's gauges were accurate Sherrouse said the gauges were verified as accurate in their elevation readings especially for the residents that are out there in that area," the city manager said "If they see any activity out there around the pump it is solely because we are continuing to do operation checks so the pump can be operational as soon as we meet the new requirements." Lake Bonny's level is currently being monitored daily given the elevations. If it needs to be pumped the city can operate its pump up until the water level is back to 129.6 feet Sherrouse said the city can request the emergency field authorization be extended for 90 days #2025-111240/Southwest Precinct/First Watch/W3: William sector patrol units responded to an ATM Burglary in the 6500 block of California AV SW The officers collected several pieces of evidence it led to a storage business in Bonney Lake The two people detained were INR’d after questioning GIU was contacted and responded to the location A search warrant was granted for the storage locker associated to the identified suspect several items of evidence were photographed/recovered to include Jaws of life (x2) used in the ATM burglary was recovered and towed to the VPR for prints and application for a search warrant regarding some of the recovered electronic evidence by Lynnanne Nguyen — Bonney Lake police are looking for two retail theft suspects believed to be responsible for over $72,000 worth of stolen electronics Investigators have identified the suspects seen on surveillance images as Sean Barrett and Eleta Ainsback Police said Barrett and Ainsback are believed to be connected to a series of thefts which have been ongoing since October 2024 The suspects have been seen on surveillance cameras more than 30 times at T-Mobile and AT&T stores in various cities across the region The two allegedly stole Apple watches and Samsung phones from stores Police say the suspects have been cutting the security cords off the floor models of the electronics and running out of the store Anyone with information is asked to contact Bonney Lake police at (253) 447-3231 Monday (May 5) for more than 3,200 seats on city councils The county is looking at whether Segale Properties’ proposed environmental mitigation strategies are enough to protect the local environment 12-year-old dies after late-night crash in Enumclaw Internet Explorer lacks support for the features of this website please use a modern browser such as Chrome A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States Students learn how the taste of seafood reflects its distinctive environment students in Bonney Lake High School’s culinary program will take some very special sablefish to a national culinary competition in Baltimore They plan to serve it with a miso glaze they developed to complement the rich which helps diners appreciate the meal even more The story begins at NOAA’s Manchester Research Station, where NOAA Fisheries researchers are working with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and the University of Washington. They are raising sablefish in small-scale net pens and land-based tanks to supply to specialty markets Aquaculture could help improve the availability of sablefish which are native to deep ocean waters off the Northwest In 2024, Mark and Lisa Tagal of IBSS Corp. received an eeBLUE aquaculture grant through a joint program of NOAA and the North American Association for Environmental Education The grant was used to promote public education and awareness of locally farmed seafood they developed a presentation on “merroir,” the marine equivalent of terroir which is the signature taste of wines from different regions They explain how the flavors of farmed seafood—from oysters to sablefish—reflect their local environment Oysters in less salty estuaries may taste more succulent while those from brackish or salt water may be more tart or briny They have taken the presentation to high schools and colleges with culinary programs and meetings of the Washington State Chef’s Association the instructor of the culinary program at Bonney Lake High School knew Tagal and invited him to speak to the school’s culinary students Many had never heard of sablefish before but took a liking to its flavor and began considering recipes to show it off the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s sablefish enterprise to provide the culinary team with sablefish raised at Manchester The Bonney Lake team soon turned the high quality seafood into a meal of miso-glazed sablefish with citrus-apple-fennel slaw and pickled carrots. It won first place at a state competition in March at Renton Technical College in Renton, Washington. Next they will take the recipe to the national ProStart Culinary Invitational competition in Baltimore organized by the National Restaurant Association and an accompanying analysis of costs and prices as if they were serving it at a professional restaurant “We wanted to create a meal that highlighted the rich taste of the sablefish and contrasted it at the same time,” said student Bria Washburn Some people have a poor impression of farmed seafood because they think first of salmon farming which has been criticized for its perceived environmental impacts Some of the students have visited Manchester to see how the farmed sablefish are raised They now dispel the criticism by explaining that sablefish are sustainably harvested to benefit the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and the regional economy “Often people want to understand the story of where their food comes from and in this case it’s sustainable aquaculture,” said student Killian Gitchel Tagal has partnered with NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region Northwest Fisheries Science Center and Jamestown Seafood They have developed a curriculum exploring how farmed seafood takes on the taste and texture of its surroundings He also wants to explore the use of environmental DNA to help explain the taste of different seafood The technique examines fragments of DNA in the environment to tell what species of kelp and algae may contribute to the flavor of seafood from the area demonstrating with oysters from different environments how each carries its own distinctive flavor Some shellfish growers have shown an interest in supporting the work He wants to educate the restaurant industry and the public on the variety of seafood grown on farms “So many of them had never heard of or tried sablefish before,” he said The Bonney Lake culinary team first competed at the Washington State Culinary Association competition “Bite of Apprentice.” They set up stations for attendees to sample their dishes and to hear about where the seafood comes from “We had by far the longest lines there,” he said “People were waiting 30 minutes to try it.” They refined the recipes for the state ProStart competition organized by the Washington Hospitality Association Education Foundation It’s a National Restaurant Association program to prepare high school students for culinary careers That’s where the miso-glazed sablefish took first place and won them entry to the national competition in Baltimore in May we wanted to create a menu around the flavors of the Northwest,” said Wyatt Miller “We built our menu off sablefish and tried to create flavors that tied back to the fish.” Tagal says the competition will introduce more restaurant leaders and others to farm-raised fish such as sablefish “We put a lot into learning how to grow these fish and now we can see the benefits,” he said who manages the sablefish aquaculture program at Manchester for NOAA Fisheries praised the Bonney Lake team for creating a winning recipe for the species “People get to see that not only is it sustainable and affordable — Artwork that once hung inside the Bonney Lake Justice and Municipal Center has since been removed after a councilmember claimed the sign was "biased" and "political." Councilmember Gwendolyn Fullerton brought up the sign titled "DIVERSITY" which features nine hands that spell out the word “diversity” in American Sign Language on a colorful background Fullerton said the sign was polarizing and pointed out that one of the hands in the painting had a ring that read "BLM." I’m shaking a little bit because this is a very sensitive subject and very polarizing,” Fullerton said at the meeting Bonney Lake Municipal Court Judge Joanna Daniels said at the City Council meeting that the city received the artwork as a gift from the commission “We look at it as a piece of art and something that supports everyone in the community not as a negative or divisive political statement,” Daniels said during the meeting City workers told KOMO News the sign was placed behind closed doors where it could not be seen a former council member said he was disappointed by the city and their decision to remove the sign she should represent everyone in this community," Watson said "Just disappointed in our city that they took it down and a council member talking about it." DIVERSITY was created as a project for the Washington Supreme Court Minority and Justice Commission The painting was displayedin dozens of courthouses and public spaces around Washington and the U.S KOMO News requested comment from Councilmember Fullerton who made the comments and did not receive a response KOMO News also tried to contact Gipe and Judge Daniels Image of two cars that crashed in Bonney Lake after a theft turned into a shootout — Two people are dead after a trailer theft led to a shootout and crash in Bonney Lake early Sunday morning Pierce County deputies responded to calls of shots fired and a crash on Rhodes Lake Rd E and Falling Water Blvd E at 6:52 a.m The crash involved a white pickup truck with a trailer and a gold flatbed truck but they believe the suspects in the white pick-up truck stole the trailer from the people in the gold truck The people in the gold truck fromPrairie Ridge were trying to recover the trailer Officials said they believe the two vehicles exchanged gunfire possibly during the chase and at the final collision scene “We believe the white truck stole the trailer that’s attached to it and the gold truck was chasing them trying to recover the trailer and ultimately they started shooting and ramming each other both sides on both vehicles have a lot of damage from hitting each other so this was a game of bumper cars up and down the road,” saidSgt PIO with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department in the white pickup truck and two men inside the gold truck according to Pierce County Sheriff's Department Officials saw a severely injured man with multiple gunshot wounds in the backseat of the white truck and a man dead on the ground next to the truck The severely injured man was sent to the hospital but died shortly after arriving Another man who is in police custody was sent to the hospital with injuries The driver of the gold truck was found dead with gunshot wounds the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office identified one of the people who were killed as 46-year-old Adam Lindsay The medical examiner said Lindsay died from “multiple gunshot wounds,” his manner of death was ruled a homicide “It’s shocking because where we are it’s a quieter area and we’re kind of off the beaten path so it’s definitely shocking to see something so close to home,” Luke Taylor who lives nearby said Deputies also received reports that two people The woman who ran from the vehicles had been called in by neighbors after being seen walking through several yards The woman was located by Bonney Lake and Sumner police on a trail behind Victor Falls Elementary School Police said she is not being looked at as a suspect One person is still outstanding and officials believe he is the driver of the white truck but if anyone has information about the case or sees someone suspicious in the area they are asked to call the sheriff's department or you can make an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers on their app — East Pierce Fire & Rescue (EPFR) is working to find out how theBonney Lake High School gymnasium caught fire Sunday morning A large response was dispatched to a commercial structure fire at Bonney Lake High School shortly after 1 a.m East Pierce firefighters arrived to find an exterior wall to the gymnasium on fire Authorities said the quick actions of the crews had the fire out within minutes of arrival and stopped it from extending inside the structure EPFR’s fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire Dominated the 132-pound class at the "Tonnage Open," totaling 745 pounds on three lifts winning her division by more than 225 pounds (and placing second overall behind Olympia's Nora Andreassen) She was named meet's overall top performer She has already qualified for the USA Powerlifting High School Nationals in Wisconsin in March beating out Garfield-Palouse's Elena Flansburg Franklin Pierce boys basketball: 2A SPSL's top player is a high-scoring double-double machine including last week in wins over Washington (34 points Montesano girls basketball: Junior guard had 24 points and 10 rebounds and went over 1,000 career points (joining older sister McKynnlie) against Klahowya for surging Bulldogs Lynden Christian boys basketball: Both brothers had big performances - with Gannon tallying a season-high 40 points in a 1A NWC win over Mount Baker and Gunnar matching a program record with nine 3-pointers in a win over Squalicum Garfield-Palouse girls basketball: Junior guard went off for a career-high 35 points including seven 3-pointers for the Vikings in a 1B Southeast victory over Pomeroy Stanwood girls basketball: Senior guard grabbed single-game program mark with nine 3-pointers (scoring 27 points) in a non-league win over Skyline Also had 20 points in a 3A Wesco win over Monroe Ridgefield boys basketball: Went bonkers for a school-record 46 points on 19-of-23 shooting from the floor including four 3-pointers in a 2A GSHL victory over Hudson's Bay He did not play in the fourth quarter of the game Prosser boys basketball: Broke school's 56-year-old single-game scoring record by pouring in 46 points in a 2A CWAC victory over Othello The guard scored 25 of those points in the second half Rainier Beach boys basketball: Led three Vikings' 20-point scorers with a game-high 27 points including 17 points in the first quarter as Rainier Beach won Class 3A championship-game rematch with Eastside Catholic getting ex-NBA guard Jamal Crawford first coaching win Toppenish boys wrestling: In matchup of beastly 2A CWAC big men reigning WIAA Class 1A champion outlasted Othello's Mason Perez in the 285-pound finals at the "Rumble in the Valley." North Thurston girls basketball: After tallying a season-high 35 points against Silas the senior posted back-to-back 30-point efforts last week against Lakes and Central Kitsap and led the Rams (18 points) in their 3A PSL win over Bellarmine Prep TODD MILLESTodd Milles is a Regional Editor for SBLive Sports © 2025 ABG-SI LLC - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Two people were killed Sunday near Bonney Lake when the driver of a pickup truck chased another pickup and the people in the vehicles traded gunfire according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department The pursuit ended in a crash shortly before 7 a.m at the intersection of Rhodes Lake Road East and Falling Water Boulevard East Police from multiple agencies responded to a call of shots fired and a collision at the intersection Two people ran from the vehicles — a white pickup and a gold pickup — and shot at each other Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sgt “What detectives have been able to gather is the white truck stole a trailer from Prairie Ridge and this gold truck chased them down,” Moss said “We believe they exchanged gunfire possibly during the chase and at the final collision scene.” One man from each vehicle was killed in the gunfire the Sheriff’s Department reported on social media who was found in the back seat of the white pickup died soon after being transported to a hospital “Orting and Sumner police were able to track down and locate our possible suspect” on a nearby road This suspect was from the gold truck — the pursuing vehicle Police also apprehended a woman from the white truck But they were still looking for the driver of the white pickup The Sheriff’s Department asked for anyone with information to contact the department through the P3 Tips app, tpcrimestoppers.com or 800-222-TIPS Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser CRIME BLOTTER 8:31 AM | Updated: 2:17 pm Aftermath of the road rage shooting incident at the intersection of Falling Water Boulevard East and Rhodes Lake Road East (Photo courtesy of Pierce County Sheriff's Department) BY FRANK SUMRALL AND JAMES LYNCH A driver allegedly fled the scene of a deadly shooting and road rage incident in Bonney Lake prompting an active search for the suspect by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) Three people in a white pickup truck allegedly stole a trailer Sunday morning in the Prairie Ridge neighborhood chased after the thieves in another vehicle — a gold-colored truck More local news: Two-alarm apartment fire in Edmonds leaves two injured According to KIRO 7 the owners of the trailer and the thieves stealing it rammed and fired shots at each other as they drove they crashed into each other along Falling Water Boulevard East and Rhodes Lake Road East the two parties continued firing at each other “Heard about 10 gunshots,” a nearby resident Double Homicide in Bonney Lake over a stolen trailer PCSD BLOTTERhttps://t.co/odQ6BsIYrI pic.twitter.com/7pkb1eojpp — Pierce Co Sheriff (@PierceSheriff) September 15, 2024 The other was a 46-year-old man from Sumner there was a severely injured man in the back seat of a white pickup and a deceased man on the ground next to the white pickup,” Pierce County Sheriff’s Sgt “Two people reportedly ran from the vehicles and there was gunfire exchanged between them.” confirmed that one person from each vehicle was killed in the gunfire The driver of the white truck has not been located at this time One man was arrested and taken into custody shortly after the collision A woman who ran from the scene was found and arrested later while walking on a trail behind Victor Falls Elementary School More local shootings: Shooting at house party in Sumner leaves one dead, two hurt The driver of the white pickup truck managed to escape Orting and Bonney Lake all assisted in the case Deputies believe the driver of the white truck who escaped has been shot and to get a good description and call 911 instead Contributing: KIRO 7 Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here James Lynch is a reporter at KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of James’ stories here. Follow James on X, or email him here MYNORTHWEST NEWS A hot air balloon landed unexpectedly in Bonney Lake BY LOUIE TRAN, KIRO 7 NEWS A hot air balloon unexpectedly landed in the Bonney Lake neighborhood Neighbors captured cell phone video of the unexpected landing on Village Parkway Thursday after 9 p.m Leaders with Seattle Ballooning confirmed with KIRO 7 the balloon carried eight people including two people who were celebrating their 21st birthdays but then when we realized that it was going down we better see if they need help,” Lory Brinkmann Brinkmann said the balloon hovered about 25 feet above her family’s house Right before it landed on the neighborhood’s greenway she said it descended to around 10 feet over her neighbor’s home Several neighbors rushed over to help the eight aeronauts and guided the balloon to a safe driveway to deflate the balloon my husband and three other men were holding it to secure it until his team could arrive,” Lory Brinkmann said “I was helping move people out of the way and direct cars and the men were helping control the basket and helping them guide it where they can deflate it.” “I always try to make sure to take care of your neighbors the community you’re in,” David Brinkmann said “Make sure it didn’t hit a house or take out a fence.” said a hot air balloon landed near his home in Bonney Lake about three miles away from Thursday’s incident “It’s kind of a dangerous thing especially in a populated neighborhood,” he said “There is a lot of kids in this neighborhood and if the pilot doesn’t see something or a car drives by or powerlines or whatever it could be a very dangerous situation.” Seattle Ballooning confirmed both air balloons in both incidents belong to the company took off from Lake Tapps and was scheduled to land in Sumner or south of Lake Tapps the winds pushed the air balloon off its original course Officials said the pilot chose to land in the Bonney Lake neighborhood since it did not have any power lines The owner of the company told KIRO 7 that all pilots are trained and have proper equipment to keep passengers and neighbors safe “The pilot decided the safest place to land was in the street within the neighborhood,” Eliav Cohen owner and chief pilot for Seattle Ballooning “The balloon landed safely just after sunset albeit in a location which may not be used to balloons landing in their area.” “We’ve landed multiple times safely in surrounding neighborhoods We understand that seeing balloons near homes can be unusual and we understand some residents called emergency services but again – this was a completely safe and normal landing by a skilled pilot,” he continued The FAA said it does not have a report of Thursday’s incident All hot air balloons must follow the same regulations as other aircraft there are no specific rules on where balloons should take off or land This website is unavailable in your location It appears you are attempting to access this website from a country outside of the United States therefore access cannot be granted at this time 2024 at 7:02 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Patch has your complete guide to Independence Day fireworks shows parades and other celebrations in and around Bonney Lake and Sumner WA — Independence Day is fast approaching so it's time to find out where you can celebrate in and around Bonney Lake and Sumner To help you fit it all in on your 4th of July calendar Patch has put together a guide to what’s going on in Bonney Lake and Sumner and the surrounding areas What: Red, White & Kaboom July 4 Festival Day 1 (July 3): PuyallupWhere: PuyallupWhen: Wednesday What: Red, White & Varoom July 4 Festival Day 2 (July 4): PuyallupWhere: PuyallupWhen: Thursday What: July 4 Tacoma Summer Blast 2024Where: TacomaWhen: Thursday What: Red, White & Blues July 4 Festival 2024: Federal WayWhere: Federal WayWhen: Thursday What: 2024 Seafair July 4th Brought To You By Amazon: SeattleWhere: SeattleWhen: Thursday What: West Seattle July 4th Kids’ Parade 2024Where: SeattleWhen: Thursday What: Lake Sammamish July 4th Fireworks Show 2024 at Vasa ParkWhere: BellevueWhen: Thursday What: 4th of July Fireworks 2024: Bellevue Family 4thWhere: BellevueWhen: Thursday Americans celebrate the birth of a new nation with fireworks predate by centuries the designation of Independence Day as a federal holiday During the pivotal summer of 1776, the pre-Revolutionary celebrations honoring King George III’s birthday were replaced with mock funerals as a symbolic break from the crown It was an exciting time in Philadelphia — the Continental Congress voted to break from the crown and the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the original 13 colonies —New Hampshire South Carolina and Georgia — to adopt the Declaration of Independence The first annual commemoration of the nation’s independence was in Philadelphia on July 4 Fireworks have been part of Fourth of July festivities since the first celebration in Philadelphia Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — A 23-year-old man was fatally shot by his roommate in Bonney Lake Saturday evening. Pierce County deputies said a call came in at around 7:30 p.m., where the suspect told dispatch that he'd shot his roommate and believed he was dead. When deputies arrived at the scene, they were flagged down by a 24-year-old man in the driveway with a non-life-threatening gunshot to his leg. The victim inside the home was eventually pronounced dead at the scene after suffering several gunshot wounds, according to officials. The 22-year-old suspect surrendered and was arrested for second-degree murder, according to deputies. Deputies said the 22-year-old suspect and 23-year-old victim were roommates who were renting out a home together. The 24-year-old who suffered a leg injury did not live there and was a friend, according to officials. Deputies said no statement gives them a clear view of what happened yet but can only confirm there was an argument that occurred that ended in gunfire. 2024 (Redshirt Freshman)Cooper Wilson did not play in a game in 2024 2023 (Redshirt)Wilson redshirted in his first season at Nebraska and made a position switch from wide receiver to defensive back Before Nebraska (Bonney Lake HS)Wilson joined Nebraska just one month before the start of fall camp The speedster was a standout on the football field and on the track for Bonney Lake High School in Washington Wilson was a two-way player as a wide receiver and defensive back for the Panthers He was a member of the varsity team all four years of his high school career Wilson was the Washington Class 3A state champion in the 100-meter dash as a senior He also was the conference champion in the 100 He originally signed with Montana State-Northern an NAIA program before receiving FCS offers Wilson then committed to Montana before deciding to walk on at Nebraska PersonalCooper is the son of John Troy and Sara Wilson 7:30 AM | Updated: 7:48 am a missing 16-year-old girl from Bonney Lake (Photos courtesy of Locke's family and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children) (Photos courtesy of Locke's family and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children) BY FRANK SUMRALL The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing 16-year-old who’s been missing for more than a month was last seen leaving her home on April 16 in Bonney Lake She’s been missing for 38 days as of this reporting More missing people in Washington: Missing Mount Vernon girl, 14, found safe in Michigan “Hayden’s family is deeply concerned for her safety and want nothing more than to bring her home where she belongs,” the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children stated in a prepared statement WA area or travel to other cities in Washington — National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (@NCMEC) May 21, 2024 one inch tall and weighs approximately 100 lbs She has blue eyes and dirty blonde hair that may or may not be dyed a different color Authorities believe Hayden may stay in the local area or travel to other cities in Washington More missing people in Washington: Missing pilot found dead near Snoqualmie Pass If you have any information about Hayden or her disappearance please contact NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or the Bonney Lake Police Department at 1-253-287-4455 Terry Carter was suspended by the Pacific Police Department earlier this year after he failed to report suspected child abuse Bonney Lake City Councilmember Terry Carter also works as a police officer in the nearby city of Pacific Carter was recently disciplined in Pacific over several policy violations he resigned from the Bonney Lake Police Department to avoid termination A suburban city council member was disciplined earlier this year for failing to report allegations of child abuse — something he was required to do under state law a city of about 22,000 people in Pierce County works by day as a police detective in nearby Pacific someone who is legally required to inform the state’s Child Protective Services of suspected child abuse or neglect But newly released records show that Carter was suspended by the Pacific Police Department earlier this year for letting child abuse and neglect cases sit dormant One of the seven policies Carter violated was failing to report child abuse allegations as required by Washington state law Carter resigned from the Bonney Lake Police Department in 2013 to avoid termination, but he still was able to land a new policing job in Pacific in 2015. He is among a group of at least 22 police officers on Brady lists in Washington state who have made similar transfers is up for reelection to his seat on the Bonney Lake City Council this November Carter told Crosscut that he was disciplined in Pacific earlier this year partly because the Pacific Police Department needed someone to hold accountable for systemic failures the department’s officers sent all cases that needed follow-up work to the detective to finish up leaving him — the department’s sole detective — with an unmanageable caseload Records released to Crosscut last week in response to a public records request provide more details According to the administrative investigation in Pacific Carter had cases assigned to him that he didn’t work on for more than a year Some cases sat dormant for two to three years the statute of limitations on Carter's cases had expired or was about to expire “eliminating even the potential for prosecution if it was warranted,” Pacific Police Chief Craig Schwartz wrote in a March 8 disciplinary letter “Your failure[s] to adequately investigate numerous cases of crimes against children dating back to 2016 were a shocking example of your dereliction of duty and further demonstrated a failure to live up to our responsibilities to the most vulnerable members of our community: our children,” Schwartz told Carter Carter didn’t inform Child Protective Services of child abuse allegations when they first arose as state law and police department policy require he notified the state only after investigations were completed a milestone many of his cases took years to reach.  As of August 2020, Carter had a backlog of dozens of unresolved cases. Thirty of those open cases were sex crimes, several involving children, Schwartz wrote last year Carter told Crosscut he didn’t receive adequate training on how to manage cases and reached out for help several times under previous police chiefs He said the number of cases he was balancing was "absolutely overwhelming." Still because I didn’t do what I was supposed to do," Carter said Wednesday he said he should have known about the state law to swiftly notify Child Protective Services about suspected abuse cases He said he was unaware of that requirement initially even though it was one of many departmental policies he was supposed to have reviewed The Pacific Police Department headquarters building is shown on Sept The investigatory findings released to Crosscut last week acknowledge that the city of Pacific had a flawed system for assigning cases recently changed the department’s practices so that patrol officers handle more duties themselves and send fewer cases to Carter for follow-up work But Schwartz wrote that those issues “cannot entirely absolve” Carter of responsibility for his lack of judgment and inattention to duty evidence was lost or destroyed because Carter sat on the case for two years “Your derelict performance in the role of detective resulted in criminal suspects escaping justice,” the chief wrote Two Bremerton police officials who were tapped to conduct the investigation similarly expressed dismay at the kinds of cases Carter left unresolved was “handed to [Carter] on a platter,” with plenty of leads and evidence to pursue Bremerton Police Chief Jim Burchett said during the investigation Failing to follow up that kind of case is “a little shocking,” Burchett told Carter during an investigatory interview “Especially as a chief, there’s some high liability cases there where I would have fainted had that happened in my agency,” Burchett told Carter, according to an interview transcript Carter was suspended for 40 hours without pay He was allowed to serve half of the suspension by forfeiting 20 hours of paid vacation time He could have faced worse punishment for failing to report the child abuse and neglect allegations that crime is a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $5,000 didn’t respond to an inquiry from Crosscut about whether Carter’s actions rose to the level of criminal wrongdoing Carter said the low level of discipline he received is a testament to how there were bigger issues at play within the department He said his caseload is much lower now due to the recent changes that have been made allowing him to follow up on cases more effectively “If we go around and fire everybody for making a mistake A Crosscut investigation found at least 183 police officers flagged for issues such as dishonesty bias and excessive force remain in law enforcement Prosecutors must flag officers who have known incidents of dishonesty or other misconduct A Crosscut investigation found at least 22 officers with such issues still found new jobs at other agencies some cops fired for dishonesty or misconduct remain on the beat because private arbitrators gave them their jobs back We rely on donations from readers like you to sustain Cascade PBS's in-depth reporting on issues crticial to the PNW Melissa Santos is formerly a Crosscut staff reporter who covered state politics and the Legislature As Republican legislators opt for ballot harvesting Democrats lean into town halls in predominantly red districts to engage new or reluctant voters.