Spokane deputy accused of illegal second job

A Spokane County sheriff’s deputy has been accused of working a second job at a retail store while he was supposed to be on patrol. The Sheriff’s Office said Deputy Charles Sciortino was placed on administrative leave Monday for a criminal investigation, according to news reports. Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said Sciortino was being investigated for theft of pay totaling around $700. The allegations include charges Sciortino was working the other job when he should have been on patrol. Knezovich said if the investigation reveals proof Sciortino was stealing pay while working another job it would be grounds for his termination. Sciortino previously held jobs in California and Kootenai County before being hired by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. While in Kootenai County, he received commendations for helping talk down a suicidal woman in 2006. Sciortino also injured a man in a March 2007 shooting that stemmed from a domestic violence call. Sciortino fired four times with a .45-caliber pistol at the man as he led deputies on a high-speed chase in his truck. Sciortino said he fired to protect other motorists from the man’s hazardous driving, and the Kootenai County prosecutor agreed, choosing not to pursue charges against Sciortino in the shooting. The man’s injuries were described as minor in news reports at the time. A federal lawsuit alleging civil rights violations during Sciortino’s time with the San Jacinto Police Department in California was eventually settled out of court, according to records.