Investigation ends in Lewiston cop resigning

A Lewiston police sergeant who has been on administrative leave since April resigned Wednesday following an Idaho State Police investigation into an allegation of misdemeanor battery.

City Attorney Jamie Shropshire has thus far declined to pursue criminal charges against Ted Piche, a 26-year veteran of the department, because the alleged victim is in treatment for alcohol abuse and is unavailable for interviews.

If she does decide to pursue charges within the one-year statute of limitations, Shropshire said she will give the case to a prosecutor from another jurisdiction to avoid a conflict of interest.

According to police reports obtained by the Lewiston Tribune through a public records request, Piche, 53, allegedly made unwanted sexual advances toward a 39-year-old woman April 20 at his home. The reports indicate Piche and another officer had taken the woman to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center three days earlier because she was suicidal and highly intoxicated, and Piche subsequently invited her to his home to drink and watch a movie.

Lewiston Police Chief Steven Orr said Piche left the department at the rank of sergeant and is eligible to collect his retirement. Piche did not respond to a message left on his cellphone Thursday.

According to interviews conducted by state police detective Terry Morgan with the alleged victim and her sister, Piche began texting and calling the woman in the days after he took her to the hospital. He also left newspapers for the woman at her sister's Lewiston residence, where she was staying.

Her sister told investigators that the calls and text messages continued, and on April 19 Piche told the woman he was working that day and couldn't wait until "beer thirty."

"(The sister) said she was thinking 'Why would you tell an alcoholic that?' " according to the state police report.

According to a review of the woman's cellphone done by the state police, Piche sent the woman several text messages April 20. The two eventually spoke on the phone, and she told investigators that is when Piche invited her to his home.

The woman told the state police she just thought Piche was trying to keep her busy and not drinking too much, and that they were just going to hang out.

Piche picked the woman up at her sister's residence, then drove her to a liquor store where she bought a 1.5 liter bottle of bourbon, according to the state police report. They then went to Piche's home, where he allegedly fondled her and attempted to kiss her several times, according to the report.

She told investigators that she told him to stop, then left the residence and called her sister for a ride. It was around that time that the woman called 911 to report the alleged incident. Lewiston police responded and took her to the department for initial interviews.

Piche called her the next day to check on her, according to her statement, but she had no further contact with him.

The state police took over the case from Lewiston police May 2 to avoid a conflict of interest.

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Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2266.