Six police officers in Washington state were disciplined after an investigation found they harassed and retaliated against colleagues who reported or witnessed racist and homophobic misconduct at the Lakewood Police Department, according to The News Tribune.
Detective Noah Dier was suspended in 2024 for making racist and homophobic comments about colleagues. An external investigation found that he later spread rumors about a Black officer who filed a human resources complaint and another Black officer who testified as a witness in the case.
The investigator found evidence of “direct and informal collaborative shunning and disparagement” by Dier, who received a written reprimand for retaliation.
Other officers also faced allegations of workplace harassment, exclusion, and increased scrutiny. In August 2025, the officer who filed the original complaint resigned, citing harassment and retaliation.
Another Black officer left the department’s Special Response Team that month, saying he did not trust certain colleagues to support him during a call.
The department suspended Officer Daniel Tenney without pay for 40 hours. Detectives Jonathan Anderson and sergeants Ryan Moody, Vince Sivankeo and Brian Markert received reprimands or non-disciplinary training.
An attorney representing the Lakewood Police Independent Guild criticized the investigation as biased, arguing it was designed to benefit the city rather than objectively establish the facts.
The city said it was committed to maintaining a fair, respectful workplace and that it had appropriately addressed the matter.
All six officers remain employed by the department, which serves a city of more than 60,000 residents.
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