A new staff report into the drunk driving arrest last year of Umatilla County Sheriff Terry Rowan says he broke state policing standards, which could jeopardize his career.

Rowan told arresting deputies he was “completely sober” after he landed in custody for swerving on Interstate 84 and, ultimately, recorded a 0.19% blood-alcohol level. His arrest occurred May 16, 2025.

Rowan was driving a white pickup truck belonging to the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office at the time and activated his own police lights during the traffic stop with Gilliam County Sheriff’s deputies.

The report by the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training found that Rowan was dishonest, misused his authority and engaged in misconduct during the arrest. Rowan did not respond to requests for comment.

The allegations could cost Rowan his law enforcement powers for at least three years, but a decision is still months away. A committee of law enforcement stakeholders will review the report on Aug. 20. A final decision would arrive Oct. 22 at the earliest.

But even if decision-makers agree with the staff report, it’s unclear exactly how decertification would impact a sitting sheriff.

Under Oregon law, a sheriff needs to be certified within one year of obtaining office. But it says nothing about a sheriff such as Rowan who has already held the seat for more than a dozen years.

Sam Tenney, a spokesperson for the department, said Umatilla County would have to decide how to handle the scenario of a decertified sheriff.

“It’s a question for his employer. DPSST doesn’t have any jurisdiction on his employer,” Tenney told OPB.

It’s also possible that decision-makers at either of the two forthcoming meetings don’t agree with the staff report. Sometimes they are more lenient, sometimes they are more punitive, Tenney said.

“It’s always a possibility they could send it back to DPSST staff for further consideration, for whatever reason,” he said. “That’s happened before.”

But the report suggests that the agency’s compliance staff believe there’s enough evidence against Rowan, who was first elected in 2013.

Melissa Lang-Bacho, the compliance coordinator who authored the report, wrote that “Rowan was intentionally dishonest” and found his use of a work vehicle violated the state standards.

Lang-Bacho reviewed body-worn camera footage of the incident, as well as police reports, court records and media reports.

On May 26, 2025, multiple 911 callers reported a white pickup truck “driving down the middle of the highway” on Interstate 84. At points, a deputy clocked Rowan’s truck traveling 91 miles per hour, drifting in and out of lanes, and making precarious lane changes.

Rowan “nearly collided” with a guard rail, the report said, by the time a sergeant flashed his emergency lights and pulled the sheriff over. The sheriff came to a stop and then activated the truck’s own blue and red emergency lights.

Umatilla County Sheriff apologizes for DUII arrest, blew twice the legal limit

Rowan told the sergeant that he was driving home that night from a law enforcement conference in Sunriver. He denied drinking alcohol when pressed multiple times, but said he hurt his back playing golf and took a muscle relaxer earlier.

After failing a field sobriety test, Rowan tried on two occasions to put a Zyn nicotine pouch in his mouth before blowing into a breathalyzer, but deputies caught it both times, according to the report. Both instances were caught on body-worn cameras and in-car cameras.

Rowan ultimately blew a 0.19% blood-alcohol level — more than twice the legal limit. He was charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence of intoxicants.

According to reporting from The Oregonian, Rowan ultimately got a ride home that evening from Gilliam County Sheriff Gary Bettencourt.

Rowan pleaded no contest to both criminal charges and entered diversion programs. The driving under the influence charge was officially dismissed June 15 after he completed a six-week inpatient program in Texas, the report said.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/07/31/umatilla-county-sheriff-drunk-driving/