In August 2017, Detective Richard Rowe, while in plain clothes, stopped motorcyclist Alex Randall at a traffic light and pointed a gun at him without clear justification. Rowe did not identify himself as a law enforcement officer until more than 30 seconds into the stop. An internal investigation recommended a 10-day suspension without pay, but Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht reduced it to five days. Randall filed a lawsuit alleging excessive force, resulting in a $65,000 settlement and changes to the Sheriff’s Office use-of-force policies.
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