Tony Warren’s tenure at BWSPD

KLICKITAT CO. — City records show that Tony Warren, one of three candidates vying to be the next sheriff of Klickitat County, was suspended once and ultimately resigned from the Bingen-White Salmon Police Department (BWSPD), shortly after receiving notice of an internal investigation being opened over allegations of misconduct.

Notably, neither of the incidents precluded Warren from continuing his career in law enforcement.

Warren joined BWSPD in 2008, and at the beginning of 2014, then Chief Tracy Wyckoff suspended Warren for two days without pay. Warren was scheduled to be the only one on patrol starting at 6 a.m. New Year’s Day, but Warren texted Wyckoff that he wouldn’t be able to work a few minutes after his shift began, according to a subsequent report written by Wyckoff.

On Jan. 2, 2014, Wyckoff had already entered Warren’s missed time as sick leave; however, Warren then admitted he had “brown bag flu.”

“Officer Warren in my opinion was negligent on his part for intentionally consuming too much alcohol,” Wyckoff wrote in the report, also noting that he failed to follow proper notification procedures and originally gave a false reason. “Officer Warren’s attitude and actions jeopardize the integrity of the department and him as a Police Officer.”

“I had too much to drink that night, and I didn’t feel good the next day, so I called in sick. I didn’t show up drunk,” Warren said in an interview. “It shouldn’t have happened. I made that mistake, but I did the right thing, and I called in sick.”

In July 2017, records also show that Wyckoff demoted Warren from detective to patrol officer. Wyckoff, now Skamania County’s undersheriff, declined to comment, but Warren said it was more of a natural progression rather than a demotion. Warren worked as a dedicated detective for roughly five years, primarily on drug matters, but his caseload dwindled in 2012 and 2013.

“I was technically still a detective, but I just worked patrol, and I honestly don’t know why it took them so long to draw me back down to the patrol rate,” Warren said. “There weren’t any issues around it, we just didn’t have a need to have a detective.”

Current BWSPD Chief Mike Hepner then launched an internal investigation into Warren for “Dereliction of Duty, Conduct Unbecoming and Violating the Bingen-White Salmon Police Department’s Core Values” in April 2019, according to a notice received by Warren. A week later, Warren submitted his resignation letter, citing “personal reasons and other opportunities.”

According to Warren, his now ex-wife approached BWSPD and made multiple allegations stemming from issues in his private life.

“Some of the allegations she had made were completely false, but, ultimately, I knew I was getting divorced. I knew we weren’t going to be together. I knew the kids were going to want to stay with me, so I just made the decision to step away from the department at that time and do what was best for the kids,” Warren said. “There’s nothing in there that jeopardized my certification, or nothing there that would have warranted a termination from the department.”

It’s unclear whether the investigation was completed or what the specific allegations were. BWSPD would not comment on personnel matters, per department policy. In Warren’s peace officer separation notice, filed to Washington’s Criminal Justice Training Commission, Hepner indicated the department was not aware of any disqualifying misconduct, like a criminal conviction or excessive use of force, as defined by RCW 43.101.105.

“People are going to question my integrity, but my dedication to the community is unparalleled with my opponents,” said Warren. “I’ve done nothing that’s that big of a deal, nothing that’s that wrong, and nothing that’s not commonplace in this business.”

On June 30, Columbia Gorge News filed a public records request with the City of White Salmon, which remains pending, but obtained the documents independently in July.

Following his tenure at BWSPD, Warren proceeded to launch his own excavation business, which he still operates after joining the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office in 2021.

Warren continues to lead the race in campaign contributions, with just over $16,600 in his coffers as of press deadline, according to public disclosure data. Competitors Dwayne T. Matulovich and John Bruce have raised $12,088 and $8,905, respectively.

Of the candidates, Warren is most closely aligned with current Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer, who’s donated $600 to his campaign, and would largely reflect Songer’s “constitutional sheriff” stance if elected.

“I like to say that I agree with [Songer] on a lot of things; I’m just not quite as vocal about it,” Warren said during a candidate forum in Goldendale on July 21. “If the state passes a bill that’s not good for the citizens of Klickitat County, I have no issue telling them where they can go. I have no issue with not enforcing those things, whether it’s mask mandates [or] blatant firearms restrictions.”

By contrast, Bruce and Matulovich said they would rely on the judicial branch to challenge any legislation, if necessary. Warren confirmed, though, that he has no interest in joining the Constitutional Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association, a national group that Songer advises. Bruce and Matulovich don’t plan to, either.

If new information related to this story is learned prior to the election, Columbia Gorge News will update the online version.

For more details on the Aug. 4 primary, including drop box locations and voters’ pamphlets, visit www.klickitatcounty.gov/1136/ElectionsVoter-Registration.