GRAHAM, Wash. — A leader in the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office was booked into jail Sunday, accused of causing a car crash while allegedly driving under the influence in Graham.
Troopers with Washington State Patrol believe that Major Chadwick Dickerson was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
According to court documents, Dickerson admitted to troopers he had two vodka sodas before driving.
“It is going through the court process and I believe in due process and wait to see what happens with the whole case,” said Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank.
The crash happened on Saturday, just before 4 p.m.
Troopers said Dickerson was driving north on 132nd Avenue East, didn’t yield, and a SUV crashed into him.
The SUV rolled onto its side, and Dickerson’s truck landed in a nearby ditch.
Troopers say that three children – ages 3, 4 and 8 – and three adults were inside the SUV. The driver was a pregnant woman
All six people in the SUV and Dickerson were taken to the hospital.
“My thoughts and prayers, and I’m concerned about them. And I’m also concerned about my Major that was involved in this incident too,” said Chief Swank.
“Our hearts are with the victims and the family during this incredibly painful and uncertain time. We are deeply saddened by this tragedy, and all those harmed in the incident,” the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office shared Monday.
They say Dickerson was off-duty at the time of the crash.
“If there was a law violation here, then Major Dickerson will be held to the highest standard here at the agency and also within the court system itself,” Chief Swank added. “There’s no special treatment for our people, we treat everybody the same.”
Washington State Patrol (WSP) is leading the investigation.
According to troopers, while talking with Dickerson at an urgent care, where a family member had taken him, they noticed “several indicators of impairment.”
A press release from WSP says that troopers noted Dickerson allegeldy had bloodshot watery eyes and a strong odor of intoxicants on his breath. He admitted to consuming alcohol earlier in the day but declined to perform a voluntary field sobriety test, troopers said.
“The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office initially responded to the scene. Once it was discovered our own personnel were involved, we requested WSP to take over the investigation,” the department shared.
“He has a workload that we have to find out who’s going to be able to handle that. And we’re distributing that throughout the agency,” Chief Swank explained.
Dickerson is due back in court on Wednesday, July 16th for an arraignment.
According to the Pierce County website, Major Dickerson leads the Criminal Investigation Division of the sheriff’s office. He’s been with the department for 24 years.
Who is Major Dickerson
The website states that he worked on patrol and as a school resource officer for 11 years before he was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Bureau as a narcotics investigator.
From there, the website states he was promoted to detective in 2014 and worked on cases in the following divisions:
- Property Crimes
- Auto Theft Task Force
- Postal Inspection Narcotics Task Force
- Narcotics
- Homicide
Eventually, he was promoted to Detective Sergeant and supervised the Special Assault Unit, and was the Forensic Services Manager.
Major Dickerson also served as a Search and Rescue Coordinator for over 19 years and is a member of Washington Task Force 1.
He was also a Medic in the US Army and Washington Army National Guard for 10 years.
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