By Tim Clifford

Chris Dearth, a (former) Sheriff’s deputy working with the SeaTac Police Department was fired May 1 following an investigation into a boating incident that occurred along the Tacoma Narrows in January. Reportedly Dearth got drunk, operated a small motor boat, left his gun and badge on the dock and assaulted police officers who confronted him.

On Jan. 19, around noon, the 28-year-old off duty deputy took off in a small motor boat from the Narrows Marina in Tacoma. Dearth was spotted by marina workers, who also observed that he appeared drunk, speeding towards an off limit area of the marina where there are low hanging electrical wires. After getting his boat tangled in the lines and causing over $300 worth of damage Dearth left the scene.
About 90 minutes after this sighting a group of teenagers and a photographer reported to marina staff and police that they had found Dearth’s badge and gun sitting on the dock.

Around 3 p.m. the Tacoma Fire Department received a call from a resident who lives near the water that Dearth’s boat was now floating aimlessly and inoperable in the water with Dearth passed out on the deck.

Once he was towed ashore by the fire department he was then approached by two officers with the Tacoma Police Department who had his gun and badge. They told Dearth that they would not give him his gun and badge back until they had assessed what was going with him. At that point Dearth got angry and confronted the officers very aggressively, even going as far as grabbing one by the arm and threatening to punch him.

The officers kept his gun and badge but did not arrest Dearth. Chief Deputy Jim Pugel, who made the recommendation to terminate employment, has openly acknowledged that the Tacoma police officers were at fault to give Dearth favoritism and absolutely would have arrested any other citizen in that situation immediately.

Dearth was a highly decorated deputy who had been working as a police officer in SeaTac. According to KIRO 7, who spoke with Dearth, the former deputy promised to appeal the decision and get his job back and expressed feeling that he had not committed any crime at all during the incident.

Though his employment was terminated at the beginning of May the story has been making the rounds with local news outlets following a public records request by the Associated Press.

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