Detective Who Pulled Gun On Driver Likely To Face Suspension

SHORELINE, WA - After an internal review, the King County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division is recommending that a deputy who pulled a gun on a motorcyclist during a traffic stop be punished with a 10-day suspension, KING 5 reported. Woodinville Det. Richard Rowe, 53, was placed on leave for misconduct following the Aug. 16 incident. He has been with the department for 19 years.

Rowe was dressed in plainclothes, driving an unmarked car, and didn't initially identify himself as law enforcement when he approached the motorcycle on Northeast 145 Street in Shoreline.

The incident was caught on the vehicle's dashboard camera. According to that video, Rowe approached the motorcyclist from behind, gun drawn, and began giving him orders.

Rowe claimed that the driver, Alex Randall, 31, was going over 100 mph before the traffic stop. Randall, however, said he wasn't going any faster than 50 mph.

The King County Sheriff's Office apologized for the incident and said that drawing a weapon during a misdemeanor traffic stop is against policy.

The Sheriff will make the final decision on Rowe's suspension. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Shoreline Patch, click here to find your local Washington Patch. Also, follow us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Image via YouTube