Internal memos shed new light on the numerous instances of alleged misconduct by a candidate for Deschutes County Sheriff and two other department employees.
The instances are related to events surrounding the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office SWAT apprehension of Paul Akehurst in Sunriver on Feb. 25.
On June 6, Det. Lt. James “Mac” McLaughlin announced that he was one of the DCSO employees Interim Sheriff Ty Rupert placed on paid administrative leave, pending an internal investigation, the Source reported. McLaughlin called the placement the same, “systemic political theater” that has plagued the department during each sheriff election cycle. Rupert is the only other candidate for sheriff in the November election.
The internal investigation, which is being administered by a third party selected by Sheriff Rupert, stems from an April 22 complaint made by Paul’s mother, Lorena Akehurst and Kelli Hayes, a family friend whose Sunriver home was raided by DCSO SWAT members during Akehurst’s Feb. 25 arrest.
In looking into the complaint, Lt. Blair Barkhurst, the DCSO professional standards unit manager, noted about a dozen concerns worth investigating, according to a partially redacted May 27 memo he sent to Rupert, which the Source requested and reviewed.
The concerns include body camera footage of a DCSO sergeant apologizing to Akehurst for a SWAT member allegedly placing a gun in Akehurst’s back while he was in handcuffs during his Feb. 25 arrest.
Barkhurst also recommended looking into whether SWAT members went beyond the scope of the search warrant of Hayes’ home. Barkhurst also notes that DCSO employees may have improperly interfered with Akehurst’s custody battle for his two children.
Barkhurst also recommended the department investigate two deputies’ alleged threats of sending Akehurst to solitary confinement once in jail.
As noted in the memo, Akehurst’s mother and Hayes told jail authorities that Akehurst shouldn’t be in solitary confinement, where he spent a total of 60 days, owing to a history of traumatic brain injuries and a degenerative spinal condition, yet jail officials said that his behavior warranted the isolation. Paul Akehurst, Senior, later told DCSO patrol deputies that placing his son in solitary confinement might violate his Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment.
During the April 2 apology to Akehurst for putting a gun to his back, the unnamed DCSO sergeant characterized Akehurst’s crimes as “administrative in nature” and the “new crimes were not serious and bullshit,” according to the memo.
Barkhurst also mentioned an additional allegation that McLaughlin entered the Deschutes County Adult Jail to speak with Akehurst about the Ring camera footage captured during the raid.
Reached for comment via text message, McLaughlin said he never visited Akehurst in jail and that the conversation never happened.
The Source initially reported on the content of that footage on June 16. In it, McLaughlin, who’s the SWAT commander, lauded Deputy Michael Mangin for his alleged boundless vindictiveness, while the two stood near Hayes’ front porch during the Feb. 25 raid.
In response to a question about whether holding a gun to the back of an apprehended suspect is normal operating procedure, McLaughlin said he can’t comment because of the active investigation.
“Standard law enforcement protocol strictly prohibits me from commenting on specific allegations, evidentiary claims, or the actions of other personnel,” McLaughlin said. “I welcome a full review of all the facts through the proper, objective channels. I will continue to respect the integrity of that process and wait for the investigation to conclude before commenting on specifics.”
On June 1, Akehurst, 41, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and two counts of driving while suspended, all of which are felonies. Akehurst was sentenced to 30 months in prison. He’s presently at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, awaiting transfer.
On June 5, DCSO suspended its SWAT operations while resuming training according to records the Source requested and reviewed. In the meantime, the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team, operated by the Bend and Redmond police departments, will provide tactical resources for incidents within DCSO’s jurisdiction.
Reached by phone, Hayes told the Source she’s frustrated by the Sheriff’s Office’s lack of transparency and accountability that shields department employees who are still getting paid while under investigation.
Hayes says that while Akehurst should pay for his crimes, ultimately, he’s wrapped up in the country’s mental health crisis.
“The crisis isn’t going anywhere. It’s going to worsen. It is worsening,” Hayes said. “Our policies and procedures and taxpayer spending needs to be wise. We continue to invest in a system not built to handle mental health, and if we continue to stuff prisons on taxpayer dollars with the recidivism rate what it currently is, we’re not going to get any healthier as a society and we’ll be broke.”
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has declined numerous emails and phone calls seeking comment regarding the internal investigation.
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