Quincy officer not charged

EPHRATA - Grant County Prosecutor Angus Lee decided not to file perjury and misconduct charges against a Quincy police officer's handling of a search warrant.

Lee wrote in court documents the requirements for proof in perjury cases are the strictest known to law outside of treason charges and didn't believe there was enough evidence to pursue charges.

Quincy Police Officer David Andersen has been on leave since December 2012 after the details of a search warrant he applied for were questioned.

Wenatchee Police Sgt. John Kruse was asked by the Quincy Police Department to investigate the incident and in his report he stated that there was sufficient evidence to charge the officer.

According to Kruse's report, Andersen attempted to make a traffic stop on Nov. 10, which led to a pursuit. Andersen allegedly observed a vehicle exiting the Jones Storage Sheds in Quincy.

Andersen wrote in his police report and affidavit he was suspicious of the vehicle because of recent thefts in that area.

According to Andersen, the vehicle's passenger wasn't wearing his seatbelt and the ball-hitch was blocking the license plate.

Kruse provided pictures of the vehicle in his report, which showed that the ball-hitch did not obstruct the license plate. Kruse also noted that at the time of the traffic stop the vehicle had tinted windows, which would make it difficult to see if the passenger was wearing his seatbelt.

When Andersen attempted to make a traffic stop the vehicle attempted to flee before crashing at Road 11 and Road T east of Quincy.

Andersen reportedly impounded the vehicle and sought a search warrant because he thought it may contain stolen property and drugs.

Andersen applied for a search warrant that was at first denied by Grant County Superior Court Judge John Knodell, but then accepted when Andersen allegedly added questionable information.

According to the report, Andersen told Knodell he learned from Officer Stormy Baughman that Baughman has spoken to an employee of Double Diamond in the course of a theft investigation. "That employee related to Officer Baughman that property matching that described in the search warrant was recently stolen from Double Diamond," according to court documents. Knodell added this information and granted the warrant.

Kruse stated Andersen reviewed the note and initialed it as accurate.

According to the report, Baughman stated he never relayed any information to Andersen about stolen property from Double Diamond.

Kruse summarizes no officers investigating the thefts at Double Diamond shared any information with Andersen.

At the time of the incident, Andersen had been a member of the Quincy Police Department for about a year.

"The evidence paints a picture of a young, inexperienced officer who likely made mistakes in the process of applying for a search warrant. Where strict attention to detail and precision should have carried the day, Officer Andersen appears to have used looser and more ambiguous language in providing factual basis for the search warrant," wrote Lee in his report.