Thursday, May 4, 2006

DA studies actions of former officer

Thayer quit after being accused of sex while on duty

By Tony Lystra
Gazette-Times reporter

The Benton County District Attorney is reviewing the conduct of a former Corvallis police officer accused of having sex on duty, then lying about it to his superiors, the Corvallis Police Department said this week.

District Attorney Scott Heiser declined to comment on the matter. However, police Lt. Ron Noble said Heiser is looking into the matter to see if the officer committed any crimes.

Ryan Thayer, who had been with the department three years, resigned in March after he was accused of having sex with an Oregon State University student while he was supposed to be on patrol.

The department said last month that Thayer, 25, is suspected of violating 21 of the department’s regulations, including lying to his bosses about his whereabouts, disobeying orders and using a police cell phone to talk with the woman.

The inquiry, Noble said, is broad in scope, and there is no indication yet that any charges will be filed.

Still, he said, the district attorney’s review might examine whether Thayer engaged in official misconduct, a misdemeanor. The statute addresses public employees who knowingly violate rules related to their jobs or fail to perform their duties hoping for some sort of personal benefit.

Noble said the police department finished its own inquiry into Thayer’s conduct last week. A short time later, he said, the district attorney asked to review it, “just to make sure that all the bases are covered.”

The police department has declined to release its report until the Heiser completes his inquiry.

Police officials have also been investigating Thayer and several other officers for the way they handled a February college party where women were dressed in lingerie. Photos later appeared on the Internet showing the uniformed officers, who were looking into a noise complaint, posing with the women.