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April 8, 2010 in City
Firefighter on paid leave following WSP confrontation
A Spokane firefighter exonerated on child pornography charges two years ago is on paid leave again after an apparently violent confrontation with state troopers during a drunken driving arrest.
Lt. Todd Chism was jolted with a stun gun several times after troopers found him trying to drive his truck out of a ditch along Highway 291 about 2:45 a.m. Tuesday, said Bob Calkins, a Washington State Patrol spokesman.
Troopers performed field sobriety tests, but Chism “began to more actively resist,” which led troopers to use the Taser, Calkins said.
But the high-voltage jolts had “surprisingly minimal effect,” Calkins said.
“The next step is we have to go hands on, which becomes a wrestling match,” Calkins said.
Trooper Gregory Riddell broke his thumb and may need surgery. Trooper Greg Birkeland may have a broken hand, Calkins said, and Chism suffered a cut over his eye.
Chism was booked into the Stevens County Jail on a drunken driving charge Tuesday morning. He posted $500 bond about noon that day, according to the jail.
The city of Spokane announced Thursday afternoon that Chism has been placed on paid administrative leave until a charging decision is made in Stevens County. Calkins said the investigation is ongoing.
Chism did not return phone calls seeking comment.
It’s the second time Chism has been placed on paid leave since January 2008, when detectives with the State Patrol arrested him on suspicion of possessing child pornography and searched his Nine Mile Falls home. All charges stemming from the child pornography investigation were later dismissed.
Chism was arrested Jan. 29, 2008 after the WSP detectives learned a credit card in his name had been used to purchase child pornography online.
But Chism contended he was the victim of credit card fraud, and a judge ruled the next day the evidence was “too slim” to hold him in jail. Charges were dismissed in April after WSP confirmed that no child pornography was found on Chism’s computers.
Chism returned to work and sued WSP in U.S. District Court for improperly arresting him and searching his home, but a judge dismissed the civil suit in January.
“To have one’s home searched for evidence of child pornography and to be accused of such a repulsive crime is undoubtedly traumatic and humiliating,” wrote U.S. District Judge Lonny R. Suko. However, detectives “reasonably believed they had probable cause to seek and obtain the warrants at issue.”
Chism has appealed Suko’s decision.
Calkins said neither trooper recognized Chism when they approached him.
“The troopers were called to a collision,” Calkins said. “They did not single a vehicle out on the freeway to pull over in any type of retaliation.”
Sex trafficking suspects released as probe continues 
Another_Perspective on April 08 at 12:17 p.m.
Just a coincidence…right
Remember the WSP was the phony investigators that pulled the evidence out from the moon that implicated Chism in the child porn incident. Where none was found.
Ok so this guy is stuck in a ditch and cant get out..so then they decide to taser a guy who has no way to get out of the ditch.
I think Meghan has transposed a few names.
addyh on April 08 at 12:33 p.m.
The transposed name has been fixed, thanks.
Dazzeetrader11 on April 08 at 12:37 p.m.
I’m not so sure this man was exonerated. Evidence was destroyed….good job you guys! He seems to be a troubled guy. I wonder if his file doesn’t have some other things init.
Moral terpitude is a bad thing. Sure he escaped but he lost in the process.
dukkandpooh on April 08 at 12:39 p.m.
I find it incredibly hard to believe that they wouldn’t have run the plates on a vehicle found in the ditch in the early morning hours prior to approaching the driver…it’s just not believable. And a taser? Good grief.
misjustice on April 08 at 12:43 p.m.
Wow! What a coincidence…
Duffer on April 08 at 12:44 p.m.
Seems like a long time from 2:45 AM incident until booking at 8:30 AM. At hospital? Just wondering…
rightwingextreme on April 08 at 1:16 p.m.
Just another example of work by the always CORRUPT WSP!!!
liarsinnews on April 08 at 1:50 p.m.
It would not be the first time a Spokane Fireman escaped the arm of the law. Remember the firefighter at the Spokane fire station just off Indian Trail who had sex with a 16 year old girl and charges were never filed? Where is big mouth Bobby Williams on this case? Williams is too busy blackmailing the citizens of Spokane regarding the EMS ballot. And for gosh sakes why is Williams not information the taxpayers if the ballot passes their real estate tax will increase. YES, INCREASE!!!
Shylock13 on April 08 at 2:49 p.m.
Sad. Particularly since my wife and I received today our ballots asking to “renew/increase” the levy. We will support the levy, but we have grave concerns about the apparent immunity of Spokane firefighters and police.
Anne_Observer on April 08 at 2:55 p.m.
Tasers were intended to be used ONLY in lieu of deadly force… in other words, when the only other alternative is to shoot somebody. They are considered a “less lethal” weapon than firearms… they are NOT non-lethal! They should never be used just to prevent a wrestling match. They are NOT supposed to be used just to force compliance when an officer does not feel like going “hands on”!
Despite all the rhetoric about “non-lethality”, tasers are responsible for many deaths. There is already at least one death in Spokane that was connected directly to the tasing of someone who was just a witness… not even a suspect.
If you don’t believe that tasers can be lethal, just ask Amnesty International, which keeps a record. This whole excuse they make about people dying of “excited delirium” is a crock of nonsense dreamed up by the manufacturer. So-called “excited delirium” was something that never existed before police — never any psychologist or psychiatrist — started using it.
These officers ought to be fired. If it is WSP policy to use their tasers in that manner, then the policy needs to be changed. Yesterday.
Anne_Observer on April 08 at 3:05 p.m.
And by the way, Mr. Adams… you are guilty of spreading rumors that are not true. Or are at the very least misleading.
That teenager lied to the firefighter about her age. And she met him via a service that requires you to be at least 18 to join, and that requires a credit card in your name to sign up. That girl went FAR out of her way to deceive him and convince him that she was older. And he had absolutely no practical way to know any different.
By the way… with a few exceptions, the age of consent in this state is 16. What it was thought the firefighter might have been guilty of was knowingly taking explicit pictures of a minor. But it was firmly established that he had no practical way to know if she was a minor. (Although he probably should have been more careful… I am not defending the wisdom of his choices.)
What the girl did was criminal, if not by law then morally so. She deliberately deceived the man and jeopardized everything he had, while she herself had little to lose. And in fact he did lose his job at least, if not more.
What the firefighter did might not have been the smartest thing in the world, but he committed no actual crimes.
PlanB on April 08 at 3:55 p.m.
Anne, what you forgot is that a fireman shouldn’t be taking girls (no matter what age) to the station for sex. And most important is that the SPD destroyed photographic evidence of the incident on the spot.
west on April 08 at 4:01 p.m.
Poor Todd, another outright lie perpetrated against another ‘hero’..lies,lies,lies….just like the porn charges….right? ha..
west on April 08 at 5:04 p.m.
2:24AM in the morning? Most people are in bed…taverns??
west on April 08 at 5:41 p.m.
Yup paid leave, about $6000-$7000 a month..sitting at home..just like when the porn charges were being investigated. Doesn’t get any better than this…
Mr_Bloggy on April 08 at 6:06 p.m.
First of all, the firefighter who had sex with the teenager ended up getting busted for a sex offense against another kid. Not sure why anyone would defend that scumball.
As to Chism, ummm … he was drunk. A resistive drunk is dangerous and he’s lucky he didn’t get a patrol shotgun emptied into his chest. Don’t fight with troopers, kids!
Albert on April 08 at 6:45 p.m.
Unfortunately in the end everyone will lose. This is very sad indeed. Perhaps it is time for the Lt. to retire, or elect early retirement, and move to Arizona (seriously). In any event, money will be spent by the Lt. for a defense attorney, taxpayers will pay for the investigation, trial, and as pointed out…the paid home leave. Nobody wins - everyone will lose - and for what?
flutieflakes on April 08 at 8:40 p.m.
So if the Fire Levy wasn’t already dead, was this the fatal blow?
monkeyman on April 08 at 8:48 p.m.
@ Albert : “In any event, money will be spent by the Lt. for a defense attorney, taxpayers will pay for the investigation, trial, and as pointed out…Nobody wins - everyone will lose…”
The way you put it - sounds like a stimulus for the local economy to me ; )
flutieflakes on April 08 at 8:55 p.m.
C’mon now, Todd…
flutieflakes on April 08 at 8:56 p.m.
is that Richie Sexson?
twobit on April 09 at 7:57 a.m.
so is the levy for spokane or steves county this firefighter works for stevens county not spokane so why is it effecting spokane?
spokanada on April 09 at 7:57 a.m.
Richie Sexson can’t hit anything, not even the ditch on the side of the road.
Valleygal on April 09 at 2:45 p.m.
Poor guy - Before you judge imagine this>>>. You are a hard working family man earning an honest living as a Realtor and Fire Fighter, living the American dream, and have your credit card stolen. You discover this only when the police barge through your home, accuse you of buying kiddie porn, scare your wife and kids, throw you in jail, smear your name, and have to crawl out of that mess after you are cleared…..because they PROOVED the cards were stolen and forensic study of said computer was CLEAN. Only in the meantime, your Real estate career is ruined, your kids have been traumatized by their “friends”, and your reputation has been soiled forever. Fast forward a few years….you are across from your driveway (with no proof of being behind the wheel) trying to get your car out of a ditch, and the cops approach you, and were probably rude and intimidating, and you lose your cool because of what happened a few years ago. GIVE THE GUY A BREAK. He’s done nothing wrong but put up a fight when he was confronted. Yea, maybe he should have chilled the eff out, but considering the past I think many people would have had the same reaction.
To say that just because he’s a firefighter he got cleared is BS - he was cleared because he did nothing wrong. And why shouldn’t he get paid admin leave???? He’s earned it.
Valleygal on April 10 at 6:41 p.m.
Fbhkymom, you make no sense. I was simply pointing out that he was innocent of the charges a few years ago and Stevens County dropped the alcohol charge. Here recently and are just going after him for assult. This man has been through enough and it’s really sad that people bash him for doing horribly wrong.
eagleproducer on April 11 at 9:39 a.m.
anne: I didn’t “know” it was against parking violations to park less than 30 feet from a yield sign and got a ticket. Not knowing that a minor has deceived you and having sex with them is no different. The credit card was not in the girls name and a public records request will confirm that. You also fail to mention that the firefighter had a wife and a family but thought it was okay to jeopardize not only those relationships but the job that put a roof over their heads and food in their mouths. I find that more offensive than having sex with a sixteen year old skank at the firehouse.
flutieflakes: The “final blow” for the EMS levy came for me a long time ago. Every time I watch the firefighters who “protect” Brownes Addition pull up in the ladder truck to grocery shop at Rosauers and walk out with stacks of T-bones and King Crab legs so they’ll have the energy to wash their engines or the Mensa level challenge of hose rolling practice, I am reminded how these services used to be performed mainly by volunteers. If we are going to pay them on average seventy thousand a year with bennies (most have no education beyond high school) then give ‘em a broom and get to work cleaning up downtown or all the empty strip mall parking lots. The same goes for cops when not on calls. Get a broom, get a job, get to work!
Ed Byrnes on April 12 at 11:49 p.m.
I am not writing to defend or condemn Mr. Chism.
I do wonder why us citizens do not loudly demand, perhaps through a ballot initiative, that law enforcement officers are held accountable when using lethal force, including tasers, through a citizen review process.
I have lived in a city where this mechanism was in place and citizen trust of the police increased, and although not directly attributable to the presence of citizen review, crime actually did decrease.
The next time the police guild tries to hide behind our fear of crime increases while refusing to hold their members accountable I encourage you to think about a Lethal Force Citizen Review Board.