10/26/2026
Brett Myers has been a friend and trusted law enforcement partner of the Pullman Police Department for many years. We thank him for his dedicated leadership within the Whitman County Sheriff's Office, and his steadfast commitment to the safety of our Whitman County community. We have been honored to serve alongside him. Pullman PD extends our best wishes to Brett and his family.
Interim Sheriff Keith Cooper is an outstanding leader, and a great asset to the Whitman County Sheriff's Office. We look forward to supporting him in this new role, and working together in the days ahead.
Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers announces resignation due to illness.
Longtime Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers, first elected to the post in 2002, resigned from his position today due to severe illness.
The commission unanimously appointed acting undersheriff Keith Cooper to fill the role temporarily.
Myers’ resignation was announced Friday afternoon at an emergency meeting of the Board of Whitman County Commissioners after Myers sent an email to commissioners .
“Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from the position of Whitman County Sheriff due to illness, effective October 23, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the people of Whitman County. I am deeply grateful for the trust, support, and relationships that have been built throughout my years of service. Serving this community has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I want to sincerely thank the citizens of Whitman County for entrusting me with the responsibility of serving and protecting this community,” Myers wrote.
In January, Myers announced he would seek re-election for his seventh consecutive term. He sits unopposed on the ballot this fall and received 95% of the vote in the primary election. This election marks the third straight election Myers has run unopposed. The last time he was opposed was in 2014 when he still earned 81% of the Whitman County vote. Before leading the department, Myers served as a Whitman County patrol and investigations sergeant from 1996 to 2003.
Whitman County Prosecutor Denis Tracy, who was first elected to his position in 2002, the same year Myers was first elected, said some remarks before recommending Cooper’s appointment.
“For nearly 24 years, my friend Brett Myers has served the people of Whitman County with honor and distinction. He's recently fallen seriously ill and is in the hospital. All of our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” Tracy said.
In his resignation letter, Myers also had a few words for his colleagues.
“I am equally grateful to every member of the Whitman County Sheriff's Office, past and present, as well as our fellow law enforcement partners. It has been a privilege to work alongside so many remarkable people whose dedication and service make a difference in our community every day. Your kindness and unwavering support have meant more to me and my family than words can express,” he wrote.
