JOINT BASE LEWIS MCCHORD, Wash. - Civilian police officers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) are questioning the actions of their superiors, after a video of a former officer surfaced showing him grab a female soldier, pin her against a wall, and appear to take multiple swipes at her face.
Whistleblowers say the video depicts a clear example of assault. They also believe it was buried, which allowed the officer involved in the incident to move onto a more prominent job outside the military.
That officer, now employed by the Department of Homeland Security, will now have a better chance of encountering the public.
"It shouldn’t have happened," said a civilian officer, who asked that FOX 13 News not identify him out of fear of retaliation.
"What I’ve heard is that they knew," he continued. "They brushed it off as no big deal."
Those who have seen the video at JBLM tell FOX 13 News that the words "excessive force" never appear in the case report. When FOX 13 asked about it, a JBLM spokesperson declined to answer, instead offering a two-sentence response after requesting an extension to review the situation.
With no explanation, that public affairs officer simply notes the incident is "closed."
The situation unfolded in May 2023. A female soldier was sent to the civilian police department for what whistleblowers called "a minor infraction."
Sgt. Timothy Scholl, the officer depicted in the video, told FOX 13 that he was attempting to obtain a DNA sample. The soldier refused.
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