A Tigard, Oregon police officer accused of lying about how he accessed text messages during a criminal investigation has resigned from the department after pleading guilty to official misconduct.
Jacob Teeny, a former officer with the Tigard Police Department, pleaded guilty on May 29, 2025, to one count of second-degree official misconduct in Washington County Court. According to KPTV/Fox 12 Oregon, the plea agreement required Teeny to resign from the Tigard Police Department and surrender his Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training police certification, preventing him from serving as a police officer in Oregon again.
The case centered on allegations that Teeny lied about how he accessed text messages from a suspect’s cellphone. Tigard police said the issue was discovered after an attorney preparing for trial noticed a discrepancy between Teeny’s police report and body-worn camera footage. The department said the alleged false statements appeared in Teeny’s police report, a search warrant affidavit, and grand jury testimony.
According to KATU, Teeny was hired by Tigard Police in October 2021 and was placed on leave after the department learned of the allegations in November 2024. Tigard Police Chief Jamey McDonald then requested an outside investigation.
The matter also raised broader questions about the cases Teeny worked on while employed as a police officer. KPTV previously reported that Teeny had arrested Nicholas Sparlin in August 2024 on drug-related allegations, but Sparlin’s attorney later filed a motion to dismiss, arguing investigators claimed to have a search warrant when they did not and that Sparlin was illegally detained and searched. A judge dismissed that case.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office also said Teeny had been given a temporary Brady list designation while the criminal case was pending. A Brady designation can affect whether an officer may be used as a witness because prosecutors are required to disclose credibility issues that could matter to the defense.
Following Teeny’s guilty plea, Tigard Police and the Washington County District Attorney’s Office began reviewing other reports and investigations involving Teeny to determine whether past charges, facts, and assertions were independently supported.
“Truthfulness is a cornerstone of police work,” Chief McDonald said in the department’s statement, adding that without it, police lose both community trust and the ability to testify in court proceedings.
Teeny’s case is another example of how a single officer’s dishonesty can damage criminal prosecutions, force reviews of past cases, and undermine public confidence in law enforcement. In this case, the result was not just discipline or paid leave. Teeny pleaded guilty, resigned, and agreed to give up the certification needed to work as a police officer in Oregon.
