Police training commission moves to decertify Auburn cop charged with murder

The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission has taken action to potentially decertify Jeffery Nelson, an Auburn Police Department officer accused of murder.

Nelson faces charges of second-degree murder and first-degree assault for killing 26-year-old Jesse Sarey in 2019 while responding to a police call.

The training commission, which provides certification for police in Washington state, began investigating Nelson in July 2022 after it received outside complaints, said Megan Saunders, spokesperson for the training commission. The result of that investigation was a set of three charges leveled against Nelson.

The first stemmed directly from the killing of Sarey and the subsequent felony charges filed against Nelson. Sarey was reportedly seen throwing things at vehicles and kicking property outside of a Walgreens on May 31, 2019.

Sarey went across the street to Sunshine Grocery where Nelson ultimately shot him once in the torso and once in the forehead as Sarey lay incapacitated on the sidewalk. Nelson was charged with murder for shooting Sarey in the torso – which the King County Medical Examiner determined was the lethal blow – and assault for shooting him in the head, which wasn’t immediately fatal.