Garfield County Sheriff's Office - WA State

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

Today we are grateful.

All of us at the Sheriff's Office would like to thank Kane Miller and the congregation of Pomeroy Christian Church. They were kind enough to bring an amazing haul of snacks and drinks for all of us here.

We are a small team that has been working very hard to continue to keep the community we love safe. The recognition of that means a lot to all of us.

09/02/2026

Comments may be removed when they violate the Sheriff's Office's objectively stated, viewpoint-neutral content standards, including threats, unlawful content, disclosure of confidential or legally protected information, spam, impersonation, malicious software or fraudulent links, excessively repetitive content, and other objectively defined categories that materially interfere with the operation of this page.

Comments 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐍𝐎𝐓 be removed merely because they criticize the Sheriff's Office, its employees, policies, or actions, or because they express an opinion with which the Sheriff's Office disagrees.

08/29/2026

DREW W. HYER
GARFIELD COUNTY SHERIFF
P.O. BOX 338
POMEROY, WA 99347-0338
(509) 843-3494 * FAX (509) 843-1347

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

POMEROY, Washington- August 29, 2026

ATTEMPTED ARSON, ASSAULT AND BOMB THREAT UNDER INVESTIGATION in Pomeroy

The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an incident that began when an on-duty deputy received an alert from his home security system indicating that a person was on his property. Surveillance footage showed the individual carrying what appeared to be a gas can and moving around the deputy’s residence.

The deputy responded to his own residence and located William Timothy Teeple (47 yoa) hiding behind the deputy’s personal vehicle. The deputy ordered Teeple to come out from behind the vehicle. Teeple allegedly approached the deputy aggressively and engaged in a physical confrontation, during which the deputy was injured. The deputy deployed his Taser to gain control of Teeple. He was able to gain control of Teeple until help could arrive. A second deputy arrived shortly afterward, and the two deputies took Teeple into custody.

Following the arrest, deputies reviewed surveillance footage from the residence. The footage showed Teeple allegedly pouring what was later determined to be gasoline in multiple locations around the deputy’s residence and personal vehicle. Upon arrest Teeple was found to be in possession of a lighter.

After being taken into custody, Teeple allegedly told deputies that a bomb had been placed at his own residence, located a few houses away from the deputy’s home. Teeple claimed the device was attached to a tank of diesel fuel and was set to detonate within four hours. Due to the nature of the threat, an area of Pomeroy was evacuated as a precaution while the Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad responded to the scene. Once the WSP Bomb Squad arrived and conducted its investigation, it was determined that there was no explosive device at the residence. Evacuated residents were subsequently permitted to return to their homes.

During the incident, Teeple also allegedly made other threats concerning the health and safety of residents of Pomeroy. The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office is working with other public safety entities to evaluate the legitimacy of those statements.

The suspect was transported to the local hospital and medically cleared before being booked into the Whitman County Jail. He has been charged with:
• Assault in the Third Degree (on a police officer)
• Three counts of Criminal Attempted Arson
• Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree
• Resisting Arrest

The injured deputy was evaluated and medically cleared by EMS at the scene.

The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the responding deputies, Garfield County Fire District 1 EMS and Fire personnel, Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad, and the residents of Pomeroy for their cooperation during the evacuation and investigation.

This remains an active investigation. Because of the ongoing nature of the case, no additional information will be released at this time as it could compromise investigative efforts or the legal process.

All charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Garfield County Sheriff’s Office
Pomeroy, Washington
Non-Emergency: 509-843-3494

DWH/cbh

08/29/2026

🚨 Community Update 🚨

The evacuation prompted by a late night bomb threat has concluded. After a thorough search, no explosive device was located, and residents have been cleared to return to their homes.

The individual responsible for making the threats is currently in custody.

We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation while emergency responders worked to ensure the safety of our community.

A more detailed press release with additional information will be issued later this morning.

08/17/2026

🚨🔥 RED FLAG WARNING — Mother Nature has entered her “choose chaos” era. 🔥🚨

Yep… it’s another Red Flag Warning. Because apparently summer 2026 hasn’t been dramatic enough already.

That means hot, dry, windy conditions are creating dangerous fire weather, and fires can start easily and spread FAST.

A tiny spark can turn into a very big problem in a hurry. So today and tomorrow do NOT burn brush, toss that cigarette out the window, or decide that your backyard fire pit is going to be your personality for the afternoon.

Stay safe, stay alert, and please help us keep Garfield County fire-free.

📱 Garfield County Sheriff’s Office
Non-Emergency: 509-843-3494
🚨 Call 911 for emergencies.



***
..BREEZY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY TUESDAY... .A weather system will move through the area on Tuesday, bringing breezy westerly to southwesterly winds to this region tomorrow afternoon and evening. Combined with low relative humidity values, this will lead to critical fire weather conditions across the Lower Palouse and Snake River.

WAZ709-181215-
/O.NEW.KOTX.FW.W.0021.260818T1900Z-260819T0500Z/
Lower Palouse - Snake River (Zone 709)-
232 PM PDT Mon Aug 17 2026
..RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 10 PM PDT TUESDAY FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 709...

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a Red Flag
Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect
from noon to 10 PM PDT Tuesday.

* Affected Area: Lower Palouse -Snake River (Zone 709).

* Winds: West 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.

* Relative Humidities: 15 to 20 percent.

* Impacts: Rapid fire spread is possible with any new or ongoing
fires.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

08/15/2026

ASOTIN, Wash. — With the new school year approaching, the Asotin Police Department is reminding parents and guardians to take time to talk with children about personal safety. The department emphasizes that child safety starts with parents

08/15/2026

🚩🚩🚩RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR ABUNDANT LIGHTNING

A push of monsoon moisture will bring scattered thunderstorms to the region through Saturday evening. Heavier rainfall is expected within stronger storms, but lightning outside of rain cores continues to be a concern.

* IMPACTS...Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.

* THUNDERSTORMS...Scattered coverage with abundant lightning.

* OUTFLOW WINDS...Gusty, erratic winds up to 40 mph.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.

Have multiple ways to receive instructions from emergency managers, and evacuate if ordered to or if a fire threatens. You can signup for Asotin County Emergency Alerts at:

hyper-reach.com/waasotinsignup.html
or by texting "ALERTS" to (509) 800-5227

❌Suspend harvesting operations during wind
❌Don't mow or w**d eat with a metal blade
❌Don't drive or park in dry grass
❌Don't do anything with open flame or that produces sparks near dry vegetation
❌Don't tow anything with low-hanging trailer chains
🚨☎️Report fires IMMEDIATELY every second counts ☎️🚨

08/14/2026

Well… the Alpowa Fire got a little closer than any of us would have liked.

The good news? Thanks to the incredible work of our local firefighters, neighboring departments, state and federal partners, and everyone who jumped in to help, things are looking much better. We’re hopeful that full containment will be announced within the next few days.

To every firefighter, heavy equipment operator, dispatcher, law enforcement officer, EMT, volunteer, and support person who spent long days and sleepless nights protecting our community—thank you. Your hard work did not go unnoticed.

As relieved as we are, fire season isn’t over. Our hillsides are still dry, the weather can change quickly, and it only takes one spark to start another dangerous situation. Please continue to be extra careful:
• Skip activities that could create sparks.
• Properly extinguish campfires.
• Secure trailer chains.
• Don’t park hot vehicles in dry grass.
• If you see smoke, report it right away.

On a lighter note, summer is somehow already packing its bags. Before long, backpacks will replace barbecue grills and school buses will be back on the roads. Please watch for kids, slow down in school zones, and give yourself a few extra minutes during your morning commute.

Of course, around here that “watch for students” reminder gets a little confusing. We have a few deputies and dispatchers who could probably still pass for high school students… if it weren’t for the badge, uniform, and radio giving them away.

Stay safe, enjoy these last few weeks of summer, and let’s work together to keep Garfield County fire-free for the rest of the season.

08/12/2026