SPOKANE, Wash – Two Spokane Police officers who were under investigation for relationships with crime victims while on duty have resigned their positions.
SPD Chief Kevin Hall confirmed the information Monday that was previously reported in the Spokesman-Review.
The newspaper reports identify Officer Toby Bryer and Cpl Chris Conrath as the officers who resigned amid the investigation.
According to Chief Hall, the two officers were found to have “inappropriate relationships with victims of domestic violence while on duty.”
“Their actions violated departmental policy, betrayed community trust, and failed to uphold the oath they had sworn,” Chief Hall said in a statement released Monday.
“As Chief, I want to assure our community that these individuals no longer serve as police officers and have surrendered their law enforcement certifications. The department took swift and decisive action to investigate and address their behavior as soon as it came to light,” he said.
SPD said former Officer Conrath was involved in the inappropriate relationships between 2020 and 2023 and former Officer Bryer between 2023 and 2024.
Publicly-available documents show Conrath has a history of this type of allegation.
In 2016, 4 News Now reported that Conrath was suspended for 30 days for having an inappropriate relationship with a woman whose case he was investigating. He is said to have had inappropriate contact with the woman just hours after responding to her domestic violence call.
In 2021, he was passed over for a promotion to sergeant and appealed the decision.
In the report regarding that appeal, then-chief Craig Meidl said he passed over Conrath not just because of the 2016 case, but because of similar allegations.
Meidl mentioned at least four other complaints within the past two years “involving different females that weren’t substantiated but indicate a disturbing pattern.”
Retired SPD Sergeant Jordan Ferguson said officers must be responsible with the power they have while responding to a situation.
“Uniform in the room changes people’s behavior. So, knowing that just being there in uniform, that you’re influencing people, you got to know when to stop,” he said.
He said survivors of domestic violence are also in a vulnerable state during response calls and responders need to draw important boundaries.
“They’re looking to be rescued. You are the hero, the knight in shining armor. You have to draw a line in the sand, and that needs to be done,” Sgt. Ferguson said.
Ferguson encouraged survivors to continue seeking help and speaking up, despite this recent news.
“The institution that’s violating your trust is one you have to go back and trust,” he said. “But there are advocates you can talk to confidentially. They can work behind the scenes to help you out.”
Both Conrath and Bryer were featured in this episode of COPS, filmed in Spokane in 2017.
Chief Hall said the department is committed to transparency, accountability and rebuilding trust.
Neither Conrath nor Bryan can ever serve in the State of Washington ever again.
This is a developing story, and more detail will be added as it becomes available
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