JUNE 28, 2021
A Scappoose police officer was arraigned on a 13-count indictment Monday charging him with nine counts of official misconduct, two counts of unlawful delivery of Oxycodone and one count each of tampering with physical evidence and attempted delivery of Oxycodone.
Troy Alan Gainer, who joined the police department in August 2004, is accused of taking drugs from police evidence rooms for personal use and soliciting the delivery of Oxycodone from a woman and another man as early as 2018, according to the indictment.
He’s accused of taking drugs from the St. Helens Police Department and Columbia County Sheriff’s Office for personal use and failing to package them for disposal between July 1, 2019, and Nov. 1, 2020.
He’s also accused of entering the Scappoose Police Department property room while off duty last Oct. 15 to obtain drugs for personal use, according to the indictment.
On Jan. 19, 2020, Gainer is accused of tampering with drug evidence that was about to be used in his prosecution, the indictment says.
A grand jury heard testimony in the case on June 1, 8 and 15 and returned the indictment on June 23.
Gainer’s repeated visits to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, offering to take to a local incinerator any prescriptions dropped off at the office by residents under its prescription drop-off and drug disposal program is what drew suspicion about the officer and led to an investigation.
On Monday, Gainer entered a not guilty plea to all counts of the indictment during his first appearance in Columbia County Circuit Court.
“Troy cooperated during the investigation and sat down with Forest Grove investigators,” said his lawyer, Dan Thenell. “We have seen the indictment but not the discovery, and therefore, are not aware of what the state’s evidence is to support these charges.”
Gainer started as a reserve officer for Scappoose police in September 2000 before he was hired as a full officer in 2004. He was promoted to sergeant on Sept. 25, 2014, but then took a voluntary demotion on March 6, 2017, according to state certification records.
In September 2018, Gainer was assigned to serve as the school resource officer for the Scappoose School District.
Gainer has been placed on unpaid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the criminal prosecution and an internal affairs investigation, according to Scappoose Police Chief Norm Miller.
“As a policy, the City of Scappoose does not comment on personnel matters,” the chief said in a prepared release. “That said, the Scappoose Police Department remains firm in our resolve to serve in a manner that reflects our mission – dedication to the safety and livability of our community by holding ourselves accountable to the highest standards of excellence and professionalism.”
— Maxine Bernstein
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