PEIRCE COUNTY, Wash. — The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office says that a major, who was recently charged with DUI and vehicular assault for a crash in July, is retiring.
Major Chad Dickerson will be retiring from his post with the sheriff’s office, effective immediately.
The announcement came after Dickerson was charged for an alleged DUI car crash in Graham that injured six people in July.
The incident occurred when Dickerson allegedly failed to yield at an intersection in Graham, causing his truck to collide with an SUV carrying three children, their parents, and their grandmother.
The grandmother suffered a fractured back and ribs in the crash.
According to court documents, after the crash, Dickerson left the scene with his wife and daughter, despite being told to stay.
He was later found at an urgent care clinic.
Pierce County deputies who responded to the collision did not have their body cameras on consistently, with some cameras turned off and others activated late, court docs said.
“I believe everybody that arrived at that scene that day should have had their camera on, and I don’t know if there’s anything I can do about it, but if there is, I will,” said Sheriff Swank
A state trooper who arrived to investigate was surprised to find Dickerson gone.
Dickerson later told troopers he had consumed two vodka sodas while golfing. However, he told troopers, “I don’t feel like I was impaired.”
A blood sample taken nearly four hours after the collision showed his BAC at .09, according to court documents.
Dickerson was arrested and appeared in court two days later.
Regarding Dickerson’s retirement, Sheriff Keith Swank said in a press release that they are still investigating the incident.
“The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office will continue our investigation into employee conduct related to body camera usage and the handling of the collision. The investigation will specifically examine compliance with departmental policies during the incident,” Sheriff Swank said.
Dickerson is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 6 for the charges.
©2025 Cox Media Group
