QUESTIONS FOR BLAINE POLICE DEPARTMENT

 [from Donna M.]

Questions for the Blaine Police Department

Regarding the Investigation and Handling of a Court Verified Threat to Murder

1. Was the individual who issued a threat to murder four critics of your boss, the mayor, formally interviewed by Blaine Police? This is a binary question…yes or no.
   
   
• If yes, on what date, by which officer, and where is the recorded interview? Why did we not receive it in the PRA request for the police report?
• If no, why was the primary suspect in a death threat not interviewed? Isn’t this the most basic police procedure…especially in a death threat investigation?
  
  
2. On May 21, 2025, Chief Rodger Funk stated:
   “I’ve conflicted two cases out… one was an allegation that we didn’t adequately investigate an incident in Blaine, and because the complaint was against how we investigated it, I asked another agency to look at it again.”
   
   
• Given that four citizens formally complained that a credible death threat against them was inadequately investigated—and that the Chief himself had an active conflict at the time—why was this case not similarly conflicted out to an independent agency?
  What justified treating this death-threat investigation differently?
  
  
• At the same meeting, Funk also replied: “Do I conflict stuff out? Absolutely…I was the commander of the law enforcement mutual aid response team…responsible for independent investigations... The initiative says that investigations should be fair and impartial and whenever there is any chance of bias or conflict it is best practice to conflict that out. If I think there is a potential conflict I will conflict that out – I will ask a partner agency to do the investigation. I have done that a couple of times here (in Blaine)….that’s standard practice in law enforcement.”
• What is the Blaine Police Department’s definition of a conflict of interest?
  
  
• And how does an active Official Misconduct complaint against the Chief not meet that standard?
  
  

3. Officer Chau and Officer Beaulieu argued on an official recording that Blaine PD had no conflict of interest.
   What training or policy supports that conclusion under these circumstances?
   
   
4. Why did Officer Zachary Taxdahl open one police report, then close it and create a second report for the same incident? 
   
   
5. Why was relevant U.S. Supreme Court and Washington Supreme Court “true threat” case law—provided verbally on Day One and uploaded to Axon as a document – but then omitted from the final report?
   Why did Taxdahl purposely omit this most critical evidence of the entire case?
   
   

6. Officer Taxdahl stated early in the initial few minutes of the first intake call that the threat was not a death threat and simply “free speech.”
   Why was that determination being made within the first few minutes of the intake call before a full investigation, and how does the department reconcile that with a judge later ruling the statement was a true threat to murder under Washington Supreme Court case law…the same case law sent to Taxdahl on day one?
   
   
7. Why did Officer Taxdahl violently hang up on the victim on day one of the investigation? Was it because the victim made Taxdahl aware of controlling Supreme Court case law which showed that this was indeed a threat to murder four people? Was this an outcome driven investigation?
   
   
8. How many full-time detectives does the Blaine Police Department have? Officer Ritzer revealed in a conversation that the Blaine PD has no detectives. In such a high-profile case with four lives in the balance, why would the Blaine Police Department task junior officers with investigating a threat to murder. Why not refer it to a place where they have investigators? Why were so many hands on this investigation? Who overlooked it?
   
   
9.  Why were senior Officers never assigned to this case (outside of Chief Funk who had a clear conflict of interest)?
   
   
10. Why did the police issue trespass orders against the victims of the death threat…on public government buildings? These trespass orders violated the victims’ First Amendment rights.
    
    
11. How does Blaine PD ensure that enforcement tools are not used as a retaliatory pawn in response to political speech or criticism of city leadership?
    
    
12. Did any officer, supervisor, or city official have prior knowledge that a death threat would be delivered at the council meeting?
    If so, who knew, and what steps were taken to prevent harm?
    
    
13. The video evidence showcases a former council member reading the death threat next to the person who delivered it BEFORE the individual delivering it approached the podium. Did the Blaine PD interview this person? If not, why not?
    
    
14. When a report was made that city evidence had been altered (sped-up tape), Chief Funk declined to investigate, citing a conflict.
    Why was the matter not immediately referred to an outside agency then?
    
    
15. What safeguards exist to prevent policing decisions from being influenced by political pressure or city administration?
    
    
16. If a city manager or elected official directs that an investigation not proceed, what is an officer’s legal and ethical obligation to ensure public safety and impartial enforcement?
    
    
17. This death threat happened four days after one of the victims had done a PRA request for potential election interference. Did any of the police officers look into this death threat possibly being politically motivated?
    
    Closing Question:

Do you believe Blaine Police protected the four citizens who were threatened with death?

 

Based on the evidence, do you agree that there was a system-wide bias against the victims that foreclosed any neutral review? Do you agree that the Blaine PD put four lives in danger with what seems like an outcome-driven, biased investigation?

 

What steps will you take to protect four lives from murder, based on these facts?

Transparency matters in government. I'm now dedicated to shining the light in the darkness of Blaine.