NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
A5
Fired deputy’s rape trial delayed
By BENNETT HALL
Blue Mountain Eagle
CANYON CITY — The trial of
a former Grant County sheriff ’s dep-
uty accused of attempted rape and
two additional counts of domestic
violence toward his wife in 2019 has
been postponed for a third time.
Initially scheduled to begin in
October 2020 and rescheduled for
April of this year before being contin-
ued yet again, the trial of Tyler Smith
fi nally got underway briefl y on Mon-
day, Oct. 25, in Grant County Circuit
Court with jury selection.
On Tuesday morning, however,
the proceedings were continued once
more after the defense asked for
more time to prepare, citing the large
amount of material recently made
available by the prosecution through
the discovery process.
A new trial date has not yet been
scheduled.
Smith was arrested in Sept. 2019
and indicted on charges of attempted
fi rst-degree rape, attempted fi rst-de-
gree sexual abuse
and fourth-degree
assault constituting
domestic violence.
He has pleaded
not guilty to those
charges.
Tyler Smith
Smith was placed
on paid administra-
tive leave for unspecifi ed reasons by the
Grant County Sheriff ’s Offi ce on Aug.
9, 2019, and was fi red on Dec. 17 of the
same year. The county has declined to
state the reason for his dismissal.
In a whistleblower lawsuit fi led
last December in federal court,
Smith claims his fi ring and the crim-
inal charges he is now facing are part
of a plot to retaliate against him for
reporting allegations that another for-
mer deputy, Abigail Mobley, had a
series of sexually explicit phone con-
versations with a county jail inmate.
The lawsuit names Mobley, for-
mer Sheriff Glenn Palmer, Under-
sheriff Zach Mobley, District Attor-
ney Jim Carpenter and Grant County
as defendants.
The county has disputed those
allegations in court fi lings.
After reviewing the “sex talk”
allegations against Mobley, the Ore-
gon Department of Justice declined
to fi le criminal charges against her.
Smith’s rape case is being heard
by Klamath County Circuit Court
Judge Dan Bunch, and the Oregon
Department of Justice is handling the
prosecution.
Smith is represented by defense
attorneys Andrew Coit and Andrea
Coit of Eugene.
COPS AND COURTS
Grant County Circuit
Court
Oct. 26: Leo Baker Buz-
zard III, 57, of John Day
pleaded no contest to fi rst-de-
gree criminal trespass, stran-
gulation and menacing, all
misdemeanors. An addi-
tional charge of fourth-de-
gree assault was dismissed.
Buzzard was sentenced to 18
months of supervised proba-
tion, 20 hours of community
service or work crew time
and 15 days in jail, with credit
for time served. He was also
ordered to pay $300 in com-
pensatory fi nes to the victim
in the case. As conditions of
his probation, Buzzard must
obtain an anger management
assessment and mental health
evaluation, complete any rec-
ommended treatment pro-
gram and take medications as
prescribed.
Oct. 27: Jeff rey Carl Cook,
25, of John Day pleaded
guilty to one count of fi rst-de-
gree theft and two counts of
third-degree criminal mis-
chief. On the theft charge, he
was sentenced to two years’
probation, 40 hours of com-
munity service or work crew
time and 10 days in jail, with
credit for time served. On one
criminal mischief count, he
was sentenced to 18 months’
probation and 10 days in jail,
with credit for time served.
On the other criminal mis-
chief count, he was sentenced
to 12 months’ probation and
10 hours of community ser-
vice or work crew time. All
three sentences are to be
served concurrently. In addi-
tion, Cook was ordered to pay
$300 in fi nes and $2,795.71
in restitution. Additional
charges of fi rst-degree theft,
second-degree burglary and
unlawful entry into a motor
vehicle were dismissed.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sheriff ’s
Offi ce reported the following
for the week ending Oct. 27:
Concealed
handgun
licenses: 4
Average inmates: 11
Bookings: 3
Releases: 5
Arrests: 1
Citations: 0
Fingerprints: 0
Civil papers: 11
Warrants processed: 2
Asst./welfare check: 0
Search and rescue: 1
Justice Court
The Grant County Justice
Court reported the following
activity for the week ending
Oct. 27:
Traffi c citations fi led: 9
Violations fi led: 3
Misdemeanors fi led: 3
Small claims/civil fi lings:
1
Hearings held: 4
Persons on probation: 39
Community service hours:
7
Warrants issued: 2
• Violation of basic rule:
Wayne L. Faw, 66, Baker
City, Sept. 7, 80/55 zone, fi ned
$225; Daniel Lee Graber, 46,
Sedro Woolley, Washington,
Sept. 16, 77/55 zone, fi ned
$225.
• Hunting a game mam-
mal in a prohibited area: Glen
Orlin Johnson, 69, Damascus,
Oct. 5, fi ned $115.
• Failure to wear a helmet
(motorcycle): Miranda Joe
Adams, 38, Park City, Mon-
tana, Sept. 23, fi ned $115;
Ellis Reid Adams, 45, Park
City, Montana, Sept. 23, fi ned
$115.
Oregon State Police
Oct. 28: Shortly after
11 a.m., OSP received a report
of a partially wasted bull elk
carcass in the Murderers
Creek unit. Investigation is
ongoing to identify potential
suspects.
Oct. 28: Around 10 p.m.
a trooper stopped a Toy-
ota Tacoma pickup just west
of John Day on Highway 26
after observing several pos-
sible traffi c violations. The
driver reportedly admitted to
having drunk three beers and
consented to fi eld sobriety
tests. The driver was arrested
and taken to the Grant County
jail, where a breath test report-
edly measured his blood alco-
hol level at 0.15%. Travis J.
Majors, 39, of Mt. Vernon
was cited for driving under the
infl uence of intoxicants.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch worked
173 calls during the week end-
ing Oct. 29, including:
• Oregon State Police
Oct. 23: Advised of an
erratic driver on Highway 26
near milepost 158.
Oct. 25: Responded to a
report of a hazard on Highway
395 South near milepost 11C.
Oct. 27: Responded to a
driving complaint on High-
way 26 near milepost 168.
Oct. 27: Advised of a dis-
abled vehicle on Highway 26
near milepost 185.
Oct. 27: Responded to a
non-injury accident involving
a vehicle and a cow on High-
way 395 North near milepost
75.
Oct. 28: Responded to a
road hazard on Highway 19
near milepost 109.
• Grant County Sheriff ’s
Offi ce
Oct. 22: Responded to a
report of suspicious circum-
stances on North Mchaley in
Prairie City.
Oct. 22: Responded for a
possible abandoned vehicle on
Carpenter Pond Road.
Oct. 22: Responded to a
trespassing report on Rudio
Road.
Oct. Assisted a motorist on
Highway 395B near milepost
74.
Oct. 23: Responded to
Adams Drive and arrested
Jonathon William Boyd, 45,
of Canyon City on suspicion
of fourth-degree assault and
attempted strangulation.
Oct. 23: Performed a wel-
fare check at Step Forward.
Oct. 23: Responded to
Lone Elk Market for a report
of theft of services.
Oct. Traffi c stop at West
Bench and Eastside Lane.
Driver warned for failure to
maintain lane.
Oct. 23: Traffi c stop, high-
way 26 near milepost 164.
Driver warned for speeding.
Oct. 23: responded for a
harassment report on Fifth
Avenue.
Oct. 23: Advised of a tres-
passing complaint on Trout
Road.
Oct. 23: Warned a driver
for defective lighting near the
Snaffl e Bit on South Canyon
Boulevard, John Day.
Oct. 24: Removed a traf-
fi c hazard from South Canyon
Boulevard.
Oct. 24: Advised of a tres-
passing issue at dDyville
Community Church.
Oct. 24: Assisted mem-
ber of the public with removal
of a downed tree on Humbolt
Street, Canyon City.
Oct. 25: Responded to sus-
picious circumstances report
on Northwest Aslin Avenue.
Oct. 25: Responded to
reports of shots fi red near
Fifth Avenue and Can-
ton Street in John Day. The
noise was caused by a vehicle
backfi ring.
Oct. 25: Responded to a
report of suspicious circum-
stances on West Main Street
in John Day.
Oct. 26: Responded to a
trespass in progress on West
Main Street in John Day.
Oct. 26: Responded to a
report of stranded motorists
on Lookout Mountain Road.
Oct. 27: Responded to a
report of criminal mischief at
Grant Union High School.
Oct. 28: Responded to a
report of an abandoned vehi-
cle on Highway 26 near Kee-
ney Fork Road.
Oct. 28: Responded to
reports of a calf on the road-
way on Highway 26 near
milepost 173.
Oct. 28: Responded to a
domestic violence report at
Eve’s Sweets.
Oct. 29: Christopher
Boyer, 32, of John Day was
arrested for probation viola-
tion at Chester’s Market in
John Day.
Oct. 29: A caller on East
main Street reported her
neighbor was feeding chicken
bones to her dog.
Oct. 29: responded to the
Sugar Shack for a welfare
check.
Oct. 29: Advised of a
restraining order violation on
Industrial Park Road.
• John Day ambulance
Oct. 22: Responded to Val-
ley View Drive for a female
with a dislocated knee.
Oct. 22: Responded to
Lemons Trailer Park for as
possible overdose.
Oct. 23: Responded to Val-
ley View Drive for a female
with a fever.
Oct. 24: Responded to
Northwest Bridge Street for a
medical call.
Oct. 24: Responded to
Chester’s Market for a medi-
cal call.
Oct. 24: Patient transfer at
the airport.
Oct. 24: Responded to
Northeast Seventh Avenue for
a lift assist.
Oct. 25: Responded to
Malheur Lumber for a medi-
cal call.
Oct. 25: Patient transfer at
the airport.
Oct. 25: Patient transfer at
the airport.
Oct. 26: Responded to
Harper Creek Road for a med-
ical call.
Oct. 26: Responded to
Northwest Bridge Street for a
medical call.
Oct. 27: Responded to Val-
ley View Drive for a medical
call.
Oct. 27: Patient transfer at
the airport.
Oct. 28: Responded to Val-
ley View Drive for a female
with face drooping, slurred
speech and tingling in the legs.
Oct. 28: Dispatched to
Highway 26 for a female with
possible diabetic issue.
Oct. 29: Dispatched to La
Costa Avenue for a lethargic
man with a fever.
• John Day Fire
Oct. 24: Responded to
Southwest Brent Drive, with
assistance from the Grant
County Sheriff ’s Offi ce, for a
report of downed power lines.
Richard Hanners is a
reporter for the Blue Moun-
tain Eagle. He can be con-
tacted at rick@bmeagle.com
or 541-575-0710.
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