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Faked a conversation with a witness to cover for his reckless driving
Tanner Jay got a call about someone stealing from a boat in Eastlake
Jay began traveling to Eastlake nearly 30 minutes after a phone call with the witness. He drove two to three times the speed limit, tailgating cars and crossing into oncoming traffic.
He turned onto a narrow, poorly lit residential road with a 20 mph speed limit and continued driving at double that speed.
A man walking along the road asked him to slow down and use his emergency lights. Jay told them he was going to a call about a man with a gun.
Jay said sarcastically, “Do you know where I’m going? Somebody with a gun. So, I should probably go there pretty quick, yeah? OK, fantastic,” and then sped off.
A gun had not been reported yet. Jay pulled over and called the witness back. After rehashing the same detail, the witness hung up, and Jay pretended to continue talking.
Jay feigned hearing that the witness reported seeing a gun, but the witness is no longer audible.
The OPA sustained unsafe driving allegations against Jay. Jay's nearly 30-minute delay in starting to travel showed he did not consider the call urgent enough to justify emergency driving.
The OPA clearly believed Jay was being dishonest but claimed it lacked enough proof to meet the elevated standard of evidence the police guild contract established.
Jay was reprimanded for driving too fast.
Let gas thieves leave without investigating and lied to OPA detectives
Owner of a U-Haul lot complained that Tanner Jay allowed two people suspected of stealing gas to leave without attempting to stop them.
The security video showed Jay’s cruiser pull up. He spoke with the two suspects as they were leaving the lot before allowing them to exit.
Jay claimed that he was unaware of the call and only stopped through to make a “social contact,” but he took the call, downloaded the info, and headed directly to it.
The call updates contained a detailed description of the suspects and their vehicle, but Jay released them because he said he didn’t see anything “abnormal.”
The vehicle was also missing front and rear license plates, giving Jay a basis to detain and investigate.
Though he remembered virtually nothing else about the call, Jay claimed that he recalled seeing dealer tags or something else that would make him think nothing was “amiss.” The security video does not capture any tags.
The OPA initially sustained dishonesty allegations that Jay was intentionally and materially dishonest, but it walked these findings back.
It sustained allegations that Jay failed in his duty to investigate criminal activity.
Illegally entered a DV victim’s home, tased, and arrested him
Seattle police officers responded to a DV call. The caller met them in the lobby and said that she and her boyfriend cut each other during a fight.
Tanner Jay and other officers did a welfare check on her boyfriend.
The man declined help. He had a small abrasion on his forearms but no other signs of distress.
Eventually, officers forced their way into the apartment, ordered him to the ground, tasered him, and arrested him.
The OPA found that the officers initially had grounds to enter the apartment under the community caretaking exception.
However, once they verified that he appeared to be okay, they no longer had a basis to force entry, the OPA argued.
All officers were given training referrals.
Pulled his gun on an unarmed suspect in a misdemeanor assault case
Tanner Jay responded to a call about a fight on a street corner and spotted a man who fit the description.
Jay called out “come here” to the man, but the man did not respond. He pulled his gun, then grabbed the man, turned him around, and pushed him against the wall.
The OPA did not sustain findings that Jay used excessive force.
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