The Pacific County Prosecutor’s Office has reversed a decision that previously landed a Pacific County Sheriff’s Office deputy on the county’s potential impeachment disclosure list, also known as a Brady List.
The list is composed of officers who “a reasonable person” could conclude were at some point or another dishonest. The list usually comes into play in criminal cases where an officer’s honesty in testimony could be questionable.
The most contentious name on the local list has been Pacific County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Sgt. Kyle Pettit, who has remained adamant he did not belong on the list. He has steadily pushed the prosecutor’s office over the past eight years to reinvestigate what led to his name being inked down.
Pettit left the Raymond Police Department (RPD) in 2012 following a formal investigation that alleged he assisted in covering up a collision involving a friend on Dec. 29, 2011.
He rejoined law enforcement in 2018 and successfully reobtained his peace officer certification — which had lapsed — through RPD thanks to then-chief of police Chuck Spoor.
The sheriff’s office welcomed Pettit to the ranks on April 1, 2019, and he was promoted to sergeant by Sheriff Daniel Garcia on Feb. 17, 2023. Pettit also serves in the agency’s firearms training cadre.
According to multiple sources and public records, in 2018, outgoing Sheriff Scott Johnson sought a determination from then-acting Pacific County Prosecutor Mark McClain on whether a 2011 incident in which Pettit was named showed him to be dishonest.
At the time, the investigation into Pettit was handed off to the Grays Harbor Prosecutor’s Office, to then-prosecutor Katie Svoboda, because McClain had a conflict of interest due to his then-wife being named as a witness in the case.
Svoboda determined that “a reasonable person (such as a judge or juror), could lead that person to conclude that Officer Pettit was dishonest in the performance of his/her official duties.”
The incident in question happened following a night at Tombstone Willies, a former bar outside Menlo that was popular with locals. A group left the bar and drove along South Fork Road, where a truck in the group crashed, trapping a man underneath.
Pettit allegedly used his truck to rescue the man and allegedly helped the man flee the scene and, through his subsequent actions, evade formal charges. The basis for the claims against Pettit was all witness testimony, including multiple witnesses who have been proven to be dishonest.
Although Pettit’s name sat on the Pacific County Prosecutor’s Office Brady List for potentially dishonest officers, the cases involving him that have gone to trial have not sustained a single hiccup, and he has regularly been a key witness, including in the Shotwell murder trial.
“A review of the materials relied upon leads to the conclusion that all of the available evidence was not reviewed in making the initial determination regarding the impeachment letter,” Pacific County prosecutor Rothman said. “A subsequent review of all of the materials available warranted removal of the impeachment letter.”
“I [tasked] Jennifer Zorn with conducting the review of all available materials and determination on the impeachment letter. I subsequently reviewed the materials and Jennifer Zorn’s determination on the impeachment letter and concurred with her analysis,” Rothman added.
Interestingly, the Observer submitted a public records request on May 5 that was fulfilled on May 12, seeking the current roster of officers who are on the prosecutor’s office Brady list — Pettit remained on the list.
The decision by Zorn and Rothman is fairly recent, and subsequently Pettit will no longer be on the list, nor will he be considered a “Brady Cop.”
The Observer has submitted a public records request for documents pertaining to revocation.
