Ex-Cop Faces Charges In Disputed Arrest

A former city police officer faces criminal charges for allegedly using excessive force in an arrest last year, a prosecutor said this week.

Ed Miller Jr., 40, resigned in December following an investigation into his arrest of Troy Dexter on Oct. 11. Dexter claims Miller broke into his house late at night without a warrant, roughed him up, squirted him with pepper spray and held his wife and daughter at gunpoint.

Charges of first-degree criminal trespass and unlawful search of a private dwelling were filed against Miller on July 3, according to Spokane Prosecutor Sam Faggiano, who is handling the case for Newport. Each of the gross misdemeanor charges carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine, Faggiano said.

City and county prosecutors dropped misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and obstructing a public official that had been filed against Dexter, who Miller claimed had harassed him on the telephone.

The city is reviewing eight $100,000 claims filed by Newport attorney Dennis Scott on behalf of Dexter and others who claim Miller abused them.

Other police officers have complained Miller used profanity and excessive force during his three years on the force, according to city records. , DataTimes