File shows demotion, several reprimands
The personnel file of Spokane Sheriff’s Sgt. Patrick “Pete” Bunch contains several reprimands, including a demotion from the rank of lieutenant. Here is a list of some of those incidents and their outcomes.
•Nov. 27, 2002: Bunch is demoted from the rank of lieutenant to sergeant for neglect of duty after he failed to obey a direct order and failed to “answer fully in a truthful manner all questions posed by a superior officer during an internal investigation.”
•Feb. 3, 2003: Bunch enters a one-year “last chance agreement” after he was caught falsifying payroll and vacation time sheets and misused his county cell phone.
•Nov. 18, 2003: Bunch is investigated for assault of a former resident in a duplex that Bunch owned. The victim, whose name was redacted from the report, claimed that Bunch yelled at him during an exchange and “then used his forearm to force (the man) onto the hood of a vehicle in the driveway.” The man claimed he tried to get up, but Bunch again forced him down on the hood of the car.
According to the report, when the man asked Bunch what he was doing, Bunch replied: “You tripped against the car.” Deputy Prosecutor Brian O’Brien cleared Bunch after a review of the case.
•March 12, 2004, then-Sheriff Mark Sterk issues a letter of reprimand against Bunch one month after his previous “last chance” agreement expires.
In the letter, Sterk said Bunch failed to “conduct a complete and thorough investigation” of a hit-and-run collision on Jan. 1, 2004, involving an off-duty Washington State Patrol trooper who later admitted he had been drinking before the crash.
The report does not identify the trooper but includes a list of things Bunch failed to do as part of a routine investigation.
According to the report, Bunch did not collect a note the trooper said he left with the victim, interview witnesses or attempt to determine the intoxication level of the trooper.
In his letter of reprimand, Sterk wrote: “You are to consider this letter a formal reprimand and are hereby notified that similar conduct on your behalf could result in progressive discipline. You are a valued employee and I trust that you will take whatever corrective action necessary to preclude any similar incidents.”
•June 21, 2004: While off duty, Bunch identifies himself as a sheriff’s sergeant and “willfully hindered and delayed” a Fish and Wildlife Officer who was attempting to check for permits at a boat launch on Liberty Lake. Bunch “exhibited unprofessional and inappropriate behavior and failed to exercise good judgment and common sense,” the official report states.
•Aug. 9, 2004: Bunch enters his second “last chance agreement” with the Sheriff’s Office for findings of misconduct listed above. He also is suspended for 10 days without pay. But the agreement allows him to use seven days of vacation time in lieu of seven days of unpaid suspension.
•Aug. 14, 2008: Bunch and Deputy Mark Smoldt are accused of slamming Nine Mile Falls resident Allan Margitan onto the hood of a patrol car and handcuffing Margitan during a property dispute over road access. Bunch releases Margitan after Margitan tells his wife and two guests to photograph the encounter. Deputy Prosecutor O’Brien later clears Bunch of any charges following a Washington State Patrol investigation.
•Feb. 6: Bunch is arrested after he fails to comply with orders and struggles with Spokane police officers who attempted to detain him near Ferris High School. The officers said Bunch had glossed-over eyes and never identified himself as a sheriff’s sergeant. In response to their commands, Bunch said, “You are making a big mistake.”
Spokane City Prosecutor Jim Bledsoe drops the resisting arrest and obstruction of justice charges. Bunch remains on paid leave and is the subject of an internal investigation.