The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has placed three employees on paid administrative, stemming from allegations of misconduct, as of June 5.
According to a press release similar to the email Interim Sheriff Ty Rupert sent to DCSO staffers earlier in the day, the allegations stem from two formal citizen complaints related to the same incident.
“As your sheriff, one of my greatest responsibilities is maintaining the trust and confidence of our community and our office,” Rupert wrote in both emails. “Today, I want to be transparent regarding a difficult decision I have made concerning members of our office.”
Rupert consulted with DCSO command staff, the Deschutes County legal department, the District Attorney’s Office, the Oregon State Police and the DCSO Professional Standards Unit before making “the difficult decision to place three members of our office on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation,” according to the press release.
Rupert, DCSO spokesperson Jason Carr, nor the DA’s office responded to several phone calls and emails from the Source asking who the employees are, when the alleged incident happened, what it involved and when the investigation is expected to conclude.
The Source is working to verify their identities.
In the press release, Rupert said he “determined that placing these members on paid administrative leave was necessary to ensure a fair, thorough and unbiased process for everyone involved, including the complainants and the employees named in the complaints.”
The Sheriff’s Office has retained an independent, outside investigator to conduct a comprehensive review of the allegations, Rupert added. DCSO didn’t not respond to questions regarding which party that will be.
The sheriff’s office indicated it would not issue subsequent media updates related to this issue for the time being.
“We understand that situations like this can impact public trust, and we want our community and our office to know that this is an isolated incident,” Rupert wrote. “We take these matters seriously.”
Rupert is running for Sheriff against DCSO Lieutenant James McLaughlin in the November election.
This article appears in the Source June 11, 2026.
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