Head of King County SWAT retires amid ‘corruption’ scandal

The head of King County’s SWAT team has abruptly retired amid an investigation into whether members of his team were involved in steroid use and the theft of county-owned ammunition.

James K. Pewitt, a 36-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, retired from the department effective June 30, according to a law enforcement source.

Pewitt served as sergeant of the SWAT team for 23 years.

King County Sheriff John Urquhart confirmed the retirement Monday, but would not elaborate on the timing for Sgt. Pewitt’s departure.

A second law enforcement source, who asked to speak on the condition of anonymity, said Pewitt’s decision to retire was directly influenced by heightened scrutiny over his team following the arrest of Deputy Darrion Holiwell.

Holiwell, a 19-year veteran of the force and member of the SWAT team, was arrested last month and charged with promoting prostitution, theft, and violation of the Uniformed Controlled Substances Act.

According to prosecutors, the investigation into Holiwell began with the revelation that he helped his estranged wife sell sex on BackPage.com.

During the prostitution investigation, evidence surfaced that the 49-year-old Holiwell used and sold steroids, possibly to other members of Tac-30, the department’s elite SWAT team.

It was also discovered that Holiwell had allegedly been stealing brass shell casings and ammunition from the county’s gun range in Ravensdale, where he served as chief firearms instructor.

According to court documents, Holiwell stole nearly 10 tons of brass from expended cartridges and at least 67 cases of ammunition from 2007 to 2014, valued at $45,000-$50,000. Sheriff Urquhart said Holiwell sold the stolen merchandise at local gun shops, where he used the credit to supply the SWAT team and his own firearm obsession.

During a press briefing following Holiwell’s arrest, Sheriff Urquhart said it was unclear how many people in the department knew about his actions, or how many were directly involved.

“What we’re dealing with is police corruption,” Urquhart said.

“We still have to do more investigation to find out how deep this goes.”

Pewitt is just the latest causality in the ongoing investigation into Deputy Holiwell.

As KIRO Radio first reported, a Seattle police officer was placed on paid administrative leave after incriminating text messages suggested he purchased testosterone supplements from Holiwell on multiple occasions.

Two other employees of the King County Sheriff’s Office – a member of the SWAT team and a detective with the Major Crimes Unit – were also placed on paid leave in connection to the Holiwell case.

A law enforcement source has identified the major crimes detective as Robin Cleary, a veteran of the force who has investigated some of the county’s most high-profile murder cases.

Cleary was one of the lead detectives in the Peter Keller case.

In April 2012, Keller murdered his wife and daughter in North Bend before fleeing to a homemade bunker in the woods near Rattlesnake Ridge, where he shot and killed himself as investigators closed in on his location.

KIRO Radio visited the bunker with Det. Cleary following Keller’s death.

Cleary also helped to investigate a mass murder in Carnation.

On Christmas Eve 2007, six members of the Anderson family, including two young children, were shot and killed inside a home in Carnation, Wash. In the days following the massacre, Det. Cleary was photographed at the crime scene consoling family members.

Cleary could now face criminal charges in connection with the Holiwell investigation.

According to a third law enforcement source, Cleary was close friends with Holiwell and may have tipped him off to the investigation, which gave him an opportunity to remove items from his home, including as many as 69 handguns.

The source said Cleary could be charged with rendering criminal assistance.

Sheriff Urquhart would not confirm whether Cleary is the major crimes detective on paid leave, but said the department will conduct an internal investigation into that individual’s actions once a criminal investigation is complete.

Meanwhile, Holiwell remains in jail on $150,000 bail.