Grant County coroner arrested for unlawful imprisonment

EPHRATA — Grant County Coroner Jerry D. Jasman is accused of keeping his employee trapped in a pickup truck while enraged during an argument on Sunday.

After hearing a recording of the incident made by Chief Deputy Coroner Lynette Henson on her cellphone, a Grant County Sheriff’s Office detective recommended charging Jasman with the felony charge of unlawful imprisonment.

Grant County Sheriff Frank DeTrolio and Undersheriff John Turley arrested Jasman in the coroner’s office in Moses Lake on Tuesday.

“I served him with the anti-harassment (order) and the sheriff arrested him,” Turley said.

The Columbia Basin Herald contacted Jasman in his office Wednesday, but he declined to comment.

A police report stated Jasman was driving the county coroner pickup truck on Wheeler Road, with Henson riding as a passenger, when an argument started after she told him “she did not want another week of turmoil between them.”

Jasman allegedly became enraged and began yelling insults at her, while driving between 65 mph and 70 mph. Henson claims he saw her push the record button on her cellphone during the argument. She reportedly asked him to take her home several times.

He is accused of hitting the brakes, causing the truck to skid, fishtailing to a stop. He then reportedly accelerated the pickup, spinning the truck and squealing tires, when Henson tried to exit the vehicle with the passenger door partially open, according to the police report.

“Henson said she pleaded with Jasman over and over again to just pull over but he did not,” a Grant County detective wrote. “She said Jasman sped up to speeds between 75 mph and 80 mph.”

Henson claims to have reached for the work radio microphone in the pickup and Jasman turned it off.

Jasman allegedly drove to his home in Ephrata, refusing to stop and let her out along the way. Once home, he reportedly exited the vehicle and she drove herself home, according to the police report.

“The words and actions toward her is more of a disorderly matter; it was not letting her go that was the unlawful imprisonment,” said Turley.

When the incident became known to the sheriff’s office, a detective was assigned to investigate. Unlawful imprisonment is a class C felony.

“We had her come in, make a statement and did a full blown investigation,” said Turley. “We asked the prosecutor for help because (Jasman) is an elected official and we notified the county commissioners.”

In an interview, Henson claims in the past Jasman bruised her when he threw keys at her in a parking lot and struck her with the back of his hand in 2001, causing “a bruised, fat lip and displaced the veneers on her teeth, which she had replaced by (a dentist,)” according to the investigation report.

The information was presented to Grant County Superior Court Judge Evan Sperline Monday to obtain an arrest warrant.

DeTrolio and Turley visited Jasman at the coroner’s office and arrested him without incident.

“I booked him … he had to spend a night in jail,” said Turley.

Jasman was brought to court on Tuesday in chains, shackles and orange jumpsuit to be present for his pretrial hearing. Grant County Deputy Prosecutor Doug Mitchell represented Grant County, but the case was sent to the state attorney general’s office to avoid a conflict of interest with the arrest and charging of an elected county official.

He was able to secure a bond for his bail of $5,000 and was taken home by a deputy, Turley said. Jasman was ordered by the court to surrender his firearms.

“He complied with the court order,” Turley added.

Henson is on administrative leave with pay for her protection and reportedly left the county, said Turley.

“Being an elected official, (Jasman) still has his job,” he noted.

DeTrolio asked  detectives from Chelan County to review the investigation and assist in any follow up worked required by the state prosecutor.

“This is to avoid any conflict of interest and provide a balance to the investigation,” said Turley. “The Grant County deputies are out of this.”

Turley said this is a difficult case because the amount of time his office worked with Jasman as the coroner.

“We all like Jerry (Jasman) very much. He is a great coroner,” said Turley. “But this is an incident of workplace violence and we have to protect the employees … there was shocking evidence that caused us to expeditiously investigate the situation.”