SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office announced on Tuesday that deputy Clay Hilton has been fired from the sheriff’s office following an incident in which he is accused of assaulting a man at a park in 2023.
This decision follows an internal investigation into Hilton’s actions during an incident on Aug. 14, 2023, which led to felony and misdemeanor charges announced .
revealed that Hilton’s conduct violated department policies. Consequently, Sheriff John Nowels decided to terminate Hilton’s employment and imposed disciplinary actions on other department members who also failed to meet the department’s standards.
“After reviewing the internal investigation, it was clear that some members of the Sheriff’s Office, including supervisors, did not adhere to our standards of conduct during and after this incident,” Sheriff Nowels wrote in statement. “I have imposed discipline on those members, including the significant step of terminating Mr. Hilton’s employment. Additionally, I have made changes to policy to ensure we appropriately document and review all uses of force.”
The sheriff’s office said they will not comment further on the ongoing criminal or civil cases to avoid influencing the legal process.
occurred when Hilton approached Hinton, who was parked at Terrace View Park while resting before continuing his planned drive to Colfax. Hilton informed Hinton that parking in that area late at night was illegal. When asked for identification, Hinton refused and was subsequently arrested, allegedly with excessive force, resulting in eight shattered ribs and a punctured lung. Hinton’s attorneys claim that the Spokane County Jail refused to book him for resisting arrest. Hilton reported that he could smell marijuana and saw a knife in the vehicle’s side door.
