Federal Officials Conclude Investigation into February 2017 Arrest of Michael Fesser

WEST LINN, OR – February 19, 2021

The U.S. Attorney Office for the District of Oregon announced today that the federal criminal investigation into the arrest of Michael Fesser on February 25, 2017 has been closed after finding insufficient evidence to support federal criminal prosecution. The full statement can be found here.

In February 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division opened an investigation in the arrest of Mr. Fesser following media coverage and requests from State, regional, and local officials, including West Linn City Council.

The City of West Linn and the West Linn Police Department (WLPD) want to thank the Department of Justice for their thorough investigation into the 2017 arrest of Michael Fesser. We remain jointly committed to a publicly transparent assessment of this issue, and to earning back the respect and trust of our community.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has met with City staff and graciously offered technical assistance from the Collaborative Reform Initiative, which is administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), and we look forward to this opportunity to improve. This is in addition to work currently underway to create a long-term police oversight entity through the West Linn Police Oversight and Accountability Task Force, improvement of WLPD policies, and completion of an independent diversity, equity, and inclusion audit and actionable plan. More information on these topics is available at our DEI Website Hub.

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