Tindall on suspension as town considers its options
Winthrop wants to keep its marshal.
Mayor Sally Ranzau said last week that the town has placed Marshal Dan Tindall on a 30-day civil service suspension with pay, in the wake of recent notification by the state Criminal Justice and Training Commission (CJTC) that Tindall’s peace officer certification had been revoked.
Ranzau said that Tindall was placed on leave because of his exemplary service to the town since he was hired as marshal in August 2017. The mayor said she is consulting with town attorney Scott DeTro about Winthrop’s options for supporting Tindall. Because the suspension is for 30 working days, its duration may be extend to six weeks or so, she said.
Tindall has the option to ask for a judicial review of the CJTC revocation order in state Superior Court. Indications are that he will pursue that option.
Ranzau said the town received an email from the CJTC on Oct. 30, informing the town of its revocation order, which was dated Oct. 26. She met with Tindall shortly thereafter, she said.
While the revocation order is in effect, Tindall cannot act as marshal. The town has two full-time deputies, Doug Johnson and Ken Bajema, both hired by Tindall since he took over as marshal last year.
If the revocation order stands, Tindall could not file for reinstatement as a peace office until five years after the order was issued.
The CJTC revocation order was issued after an administrative hearing in Burien in mid-October. The CJTC had filed a statement of charges seeking to revoke Tindall’s peace officer certification on Feb. 13 of this year, “on the basis that he was discharged from the WSP [Washington State Patrol] for disqualifying misconduct” in 2015, according to the CJTC revocation order.
The revocation order refers to an incident dating back to 2015, in which Tindall — then a Washington State Patrol (WSP) trooper – was accused of making false or misleading statements related to the investigation of his son for alleged criminal activity. In 2015, Tindall retired from the WSP after 25 years of service. In 2016, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor criminal charge in the case involving attempted arson charges against his teenage son.
Earlier this year the CJTC, which is authorized by the state to certify peace officers for duty in the state, appointed a hearings panel to determine whether Tindall’s actions related to the criminal investigation of his son supported a revocation. The revocation hearing in Burien, which Tindall requested after the February statement of charges, was open to the public.
Tindall was hired to bring some needed stability to the marshal’s position. At the time, former Winthrop Mayor Rick Northcott said he thoroughly vetted Tindall’s background and concluded that the former trooper would be a good match for Winthrop.
Northcott said input from people who know Tindall and his own assessment made him feel comfortable about “the high character of this man … I’m willing to take the chance,” he said. “Given his background of 25 years of experience … I just didn’t know if we’d get this kind of opportunity again.”
Tindall’s 25 years with the state patrol included more than 12 years on the executive protection unit. He is one of only 11 Washington state troopers who earned the Award of Honor, the state patrol’s highest recognition for an outstanding act of valor. He has owned property in the Methow Valley for more than two decades. He lived here from 1995 to 2002 when he was assigned as a state trooper to Okanogan County.
Tindall has earned supportive reviews from town officials and residents since he took the marshal’s position. In an earlier interview Mayor Ranzau said, “We want to keep him [Tindall]. He’s a good officer. He’s been so positive that we would hate to lose him.”
