King County corruption investigation ensnares Seattle Police Department
Jun 20, 2014, 7:59 AM | Updated: 1:21 pm
A Seattle patrol officer has been placed on paid administrative reassignment in connection to a police corruption investigation that has now ensnared two departments.
On Thursday, the King County Sherriff’s Office announced the arrest of Deputy Darrion Holiwell, a 19-year veteran of the agency and a member of the department’s elite tactical team.
Holiwell, 49, has been charged with promoting prostitution, first-degree theft, and violation of the Uniform Controlled Substance Act.
According to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation, Seattle Police Officer Kevin McDaniel is accused of buying testosterone pills from Holiwell on multiple occasions.
Text messages between Holiwell and McDaniel are detailed in court documents.
In one exchange, Holiwell told McDaniel to bring $370 to his home to pick up his “gear.”
“Hey bruh – I have some gear you may be very interested [in] at a really good price. Hit me up,” Holiwell wrote in one message.
In another message, he listed the drugs he had for sale.
“All British Dragon
All 10ml bottles
Primobol 100mg/ml
Boldabol 200mg/ml
Testabol Proprianate 100mg/ml
Andropen 275mg/ml
Anavar 50mg.”
“$85 ea,” he said.
The Seattle Police Department released a statement on Friday:
“If any of the allegations prove true, the department will take swift action. This type of behavior is not condoned and will not be tolerated.”
King County Sheriff John Urquhart said Thursday that his office is investigating whether Holiwell also sold steroids to members of his department’s SWAT team.
Urquhart said he also wants to know how many people in the department might have been aware of Holiwell’s alleged theft from the gun range in Ravensdale, where he was the chief firearms instructor.
“Accountability is looking at how deep inside the sheriff’s office this problem goes, and is it bigger than just a few people on the SWAT team? I don’t know yet. But I intend to find out,” he said.
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. 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.
“Firearms are not just a routine part of the defendant’s day-to-day life; they are an essential part of his existence,” prosecutors wrote in court documents.
Holiwell is currently being held on $150,000 bail at the King County Jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on July 1.
A Seattle Police Department spokesperson could not comment Thursday evening about the involvement of one of their officers.
