A Mercer Island Police Department (MIPD) officer remains on the city’s force while he is currently under certification review by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.

According to MIPD documents, officer Todd Roggenkamp — who previously served the city as a police sergeant before his demotion — is still on active duty following an evening of inebriation and aggression as well as an on-duty instance where he affixed a sex toy to an officer’s patrol vehicle, as noted in city documents obtained by the Reporter.

David Quinlan, communications manager for the training commission, confirmed to the Reporter that the agency opened two cases involving Roggenkamp, which both occurred in 2023. One is closed while the other case sits in intake review status waiting to be assigned to an investigator.

Certification review processes can be extensive, said Quinlan, adding that investigators manage robust dockets and some cases can take months, even longer, to conclude.

The night of drinking occurred on Oct. 8, 2023, when Roggenkamp, his wife and another MIPD officer and her husband were situated at the Last Frontier Saloon in Fall City, according to documents.

“While at the bar, (Roggenkamp) flashed his badge so as to gain special favor with the bartender. He tried to provoke another patron into fighting. His wife assaulted another patron in his presence,” reads the commission’s case report. City documents state that Roggenkamp’s wife left her phone in the bar after closing — after the doors had been locked and the alarm was set — and Roggenkamp wanted to retrieve it, but was told it wasn’t possible at that time.

Documents state that the couple became verbally aggressive, and video surveillance shows Roggenkamp’s wife kicking a man — who was with the bartender — in the groin and slapping him across the head.

In an interview with Renton Police Department Cmdr. Chandler Swain — who was handling the internal investigation at the MIPD’s request — the man at the bar said about Roggenkamp’s aggressive verbal demeanor: “After whatever alleged assault happened with the female, he kind of really doubled down on that, trying to bait me into mutual combat, which I declined.”

Also speaking to Swain in a separate interview, according to documents, Roggenkamp said: “My wife felt threatened at one point.”

After leaving the bar, King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) deputies stopped the vehicle that Roggenkamp and his wife were riding in, “he lied to the deputies that no assault had taken place, and that he was a Bothell firefighter. He was rude and demeaning to the KCSO deputies, and repeatedly said the vehicle he was in could drive away from them,” according to the report.

Swain reviewed King County deputies’ body cameras that captured Roggenkamp saying, in part, that there were no cameras at the bar. Also during the stop and after his wife was arrested, Roggenkamp tells one of the deputies, “you’re a (f—-ing) amateur” when he wasn’t sure of the amount of her bail. He pointed to another deputy and said, “Fat guy, you don’t have PC.”

According to the commission’s report and a spokesperson for the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention, Roggenkamp’s wife was arrested for fourth-degree assault and booked into King County Jail (KCJ) at 12:21 a.m. Oct. 9. She was released at 7:44 a.m. that day after posting $1,000 bail.

“After his wife was arrested for the assault, he drove to the [King County Jail], identified himself as a sergeant, and tried to get the jail to release his wife, threatening to block the sally port until they released her,” reads the commission’s report.

In a documented interview with Swain, Roggenkamp said, “My number one goal was just to get her out. I was scared for her safety. She’s never been arrested before, never gone to jail.”

Also in 2023, Roggenkamp was informed by former MIPD Chief Ed Holmes in a memo dated Dec. 11 that an internal investigation was forthcoming regarding the sex toy incident.

At that point, Roggenkamp was on paid administrative leave for the Oct. 8 matter and was told that his leave would be extended while the second investigation took place.

During Swain’s investigation, he was informed that MIPD officers found out, “That during a night shift that a rubber dildo with a suction cup was found in one of their parks. T. Roggenkamp thought it would be funny and stuck the sex toy on the back of one of the officer’s patrol cars. This officer was not aware of the toy on the car and drove around the city.” An MIPD memo reads that Roggenkamp followed the officer to make sure that he didn’t respond to a call for service or make a traffic stop during this time.

In a memo from Holmes dated Jan. 16, 2024, the former chief said he was considering terminating Roggenkamp following the investigation (and the previous one). Holmes determined that Roggenkamp’s actions “violated the high standards of integrity and morality demanded of a police officer,” among other department rules and policies violations.

Following a call with the Mercer Island Police Department Association president, Holmes was informed that Roggenkamp understood the seriousness of his actions in both cases, issued a written apology to the KCSO deputies involved in the incident and more.

“I will give you one more chance to show that you are able to continue serving as a police officer,” Holmes told Roggenkamp in a memo dated Jan. 26, 2024.

The Reporter reached out to the city of Mercer Island in April and was informed that it has no further comment on the matter.

Last Oct. 3, the city posted a public notice on social media regarding an officer misconduct case that was under investigation and review. Roggenkamp’s name wasn’t mentioned in the announcement.

“MIPD immediately investigated the reported behavior, and corrective disciplinary action was taken,” the post reads, adding that the case — which the former police chief submitted to the training commission — involves MIPD policy violations related to public intoxication and inappropriate behavior.

The city, which the post said can’t publicly discuss the details of personnel processes, noted that the community’s trust in the department is its greatest asset.

“Our police department holds our officers to the highest standard of professional behavior, both on and off duty, and investigates any reports of policy violations thoroughly and swiftly,” the post reads.

The Reporter emailed Todd Roggenkamp and asked for comment for this story, but didn’t receive a reply at press time.