King County detective faces suspension after pulling gun on motorcyclist

SEATTLE - A King County sheriff's detective may get a 10-day suspension after he was caught on camera last summer pointing a gun at a motorcyclist during a traffic stop.

The deputy, identified as Sgt. Richard Rowe, 53, says he stopped the motorcyclist for reckless driving on Aug. 16.

But the Sheriff's Office says it has concerns about the way Rowe handled the traffic stop - including poor firearm handling and failure to immediately identify himself as a deputy in plain clothes.

The motorcyclist, Alex Randall, had a helmet cam rolling on the entire incident. It showed that Rowe was not in uniform and pointed a gun at Randall while demanding his wallet for ID. Rowe did not identify himself as a law enforcement officer for almost a full minute.

"You (expletive) drive reckless. Give me your driver’s license or I’ll knock you off this bike," Rowe can be heard saying in the helmet cam video. Rowe then reached into Randall's pocket and pulled out his wallet without Randall's permission.

Randall later posted the helmet cam video on YouTube.

Rowe, who has been with the Sheriff's Office for about 19 years, was placed on administrative leave after the incident and Sheriff John Urquhart called the motorcyclist to apologize for Rowe's behavior.

An investigation into the incident found that Rowe's conduct brought discredit upon the King County Sheriff's Office.

"His overreaction to this incident, the use of profanity, threats, poor firearm handling and the ensuing public outcry significantly diminished respect for the Sheriff's Office ... and diminished public confidence in the operation of the Sheriff's Office," the investigation report said.