Tort Claim Notice Filed by Sergeant Jay Minton
We can report that Sergeant Jay Minton has filed a tort claim notice against the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. It is sixteen pages long and breathtaking in its scope.
Before continuing to read the rest of this article, we strongly urge you to stop and read Jay Minton’s tort claim notice. Consider it a civic duty. Quite honestly, we think it stands on its own and requires no analysis by us. Here is a link to it:
“Sergeant Minton Tort Claim Notice”
Reading Sergeant Minton’s claims, left us not only speechless, but candidly sickened at what we had just read.
Named in Minton’s claims are: Sheriff Shane Nelson; Captains Paul Garrison and William Bailey; and Lieutenants Joe DeLuca , Jayson Janes, Doug Sullivan and Don Manning.
There is no question to our minds that Minton was bullied, intimidated, and retaliated against by these men. Their actions were witnessed and corroborated by other employees. Folks such as Lieutenant Mike Sundberg and Sergeant Jason Wall.
In particular, we are appalled by the role played by Patrol Division Captain Bailey. Here is a man who wishes to be the next Sheriff yet seems to repeatedly stoop to levels of conduct unbefitting the Office of Sheriff.
Aside from documenting the poor way in which Bailey treated him, Minton also lists the following:
- Promotional processes being pre-determined and filled by those who closely aligned with Bailey and the future command staff.
- Special assignments appeared to be filled by those who would show little to no resistance to Bailey and the future command staff.
- Spending on “Health of the Force” went out of control and appeared to be a tactic to sway internal support for Bailey in the upcoming election.
- DCSO members with strong personalities and operational experience started to be persecuted by Bailey and the future command staff.
- Strong operational leaders that were seen in opposition to Bailey and the future command staff were placed in positions where they had less influence and would ultimately be silenced.
- SWAT team members were scrutinized and seen as non-compliant because of their lack of support/or neutral stance towards Bailey being Sheriff.
We note the above aligns with what we have been hearing and reporting.
Furthermore, it is clear that veiled yet coercive language was used against Minton by Sheriff Nelson, Captain Garrison and Lieutenant Manning by threatening Minton’s career in order to dissuade him from protecting his rights by filing a complaint against members of the leadership team.
To our minds these men should hang their collective heads in shame for their immoral conduct. We think they have no business being managers, let alone work at a law enforcement agency. Simply put, we believe they are a disgrace to the uniform and to the law enforcement profession.
Viewed in the context of recent tort claims notices filed against the Sheriff’s Office leadership, as well as both ongoing and prior litigation against Sheriff Shane Nelson by his own employees, Jay Minton’s tort claim notice paints a devastating picture of corruption, bullying, retaliation, intimidation, and flagrant violations of the most basic and fundamental civil rights of Sheriff’s Office employees.
For those who don’t know Sergeant Jay Minton, he is a former United States Marine and a highly decorated combat veteran with multiple tours of duty under his belt. He is currently a patrol sergeant and a commander on the Sheriff’s Office SWAT team. There is absolutely no question that Minton is highly respected by his peers, his subordinates. and other leaders at the Sheriff’s Office.
We remind folks that Minton’s is the THIRD tort claim noticed filed against the Sheriff’s Office leadership by a well respected and highly decorated member of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office in just a matter of a couple of months.
The first was filed by formed Detective Sergeant James McLaughlin, a SWAT commander and former US Marine Force Recon Marine and which we wrote about in “The Targeting of Sergeant James McLaughlin” and “Tort Claim Notice Filed by Sergeant McLaughlin” (Both linked below)
The Second was filed by Deputy Matthew Palmer, a SWAT team member and former US Army combat medic and which we wrote about in “The Interrogation of Deputy Matt Palmer” and “Tort Claim Notice Filed by Deputy Matthew Palmer” (Both linked below)
Recall that these is also the ongoing $2.5 Federal lawsuit filed by former Captain Deron McMaster a veteran of the United States Air force and a man well known for his impeccable honestly and high moral standards. We wrote a multi-part series on McMaster’s treatment at the at hands of Shane Nelson. (Linked below)
Minton, McLaughlin, McMaster and Palmer are serious men. They are good men, and they are honorable men. They all served their country in the Armed Forces after which they continued a life of service by choosing a career in law enforcement and serving their community.
Without question these men honor their oath of office and are loyal to a fault. Thus for them to be forced into such drastic action speaks volumes.
When reading these mens’ legal claims we can see a truly grim picture of the premeditated abuse, retaliation, bullying and frankly rampant violations of the most basic legal and fundamental constitutional rights of Sheriff’s Office employees by the Sheriff’s Office leadership.
We wholeheartedly believe that the actions of Sheriff’s Office leadership involved in these tort claim notices easily crosses into outright malfeasance.
The observant reader will note that we are consistently using the word “malfeasance” while describing the Sheriff’s Office leadership’s behavior. We do this with intent because malfeasant acts have statutory implications which we think will have severe and profound personal ramifications for these the men.
There is clearly something terribly wrong at the highest levels of the Sheriff’s Office leadership. The evidence is incontrovertible, overwhelming and frankly damning.
Unfortunately due to the actions of men such as Shane Nelson and his leadership team, it is highly likely that Deschutes County will be exposed to substantial financial risk amounting to many millions of dollars.
We must also wonder if the County’s insurance provider may elect to take a closer look at the financial risks to which they are being exposed by what is a seeming pattern of reckless behavior on the part the Sheriff’s Office leadership.
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