The state has revoked the peace officer certification of a former Pullman Police sergeant accused of coercing a WSU freshman into performing a sex act to get out of her arrest for public intoxication in 2018.
The Criminal Justice Training Commission, which oversees certification of law enforcement officers statewide, revoked the certification of former Sgt. Jerry “Dan” Hargraves in late August after he failed to contest the action. The commission posted the revocation order last month.
“[Hargraves] is in default and has waived his opportunity to contest the allegations,” the order states. “The respondent’s peace officer certification is REVOKED.”
Individuals must be certified by the commission to serve as law enforcement officers in Washington state. The commission issued a statement of charges against Hargraves in June, outlining allegations of custodial sexual misconduct and official misconduct. Read that document here.
Pullman Police Chief Gary Jenkins said he petitioned the state to decertify Hargraves after an internal investigation concluded the former sergeant had violated several department policies. Hargraves was arrested on criminal charges in October of 2018 and later resigned in lieu of termination.
Investigators with the Washington State Patrol matched the DNA in semen on the 18-year-old victim’s shirt to Hargraves, according to police records. Hargraves also failed to respond to seven calls during the time of the alleged sexual misconduct and could not otherwise account for his whereabouts.
Read our previous in-depth coverage at the department’s internal investigation and see a timeline of the alleged incident and investigation.
A jury deadlocked on felony charges against Hargraves last fall, resulting in a mistrial. The county prosecutor declined to retry Hargraves, saying the victim was unwilling to endure another trial.
The state commission does not list any other previous revocations against Whitman County-based officers or deputies in recent years. See that full listing here.