The man challenging incumbent Jefferson County Sheriff Jason Pollock in November is facing a mounting set of credibility questions: he has been placed on the Brady List, fired from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, and will face a state certification review on May 21 — just eight days from now — that could cost him his law enforcement credentials entirely.

Tyler Anderson, who spent roughly six years as a Jefferson County deputy and six more years on the Central Oregon SWAT team, was placed on administrative leave in October 2024 during an investigation into an alleged inappropriate relationship with a purported criminal informant. The investigation concluded in April 2025 with his termination, following what the sheriff's office described as "findings of untruthfulness."

Brady List and the DA's Letter

Acting Jefferson County District Attorney Steven Leriche added Anderson to the Brady List in July 2025. Placement on the Brady List means prosecutors are ethically prohibited from calling Anderson as a witness in criminal cases — a significant liability for a sitting sheriff who would regularly testify in court.

"We find that three different law enforcement agencies have made findings of untruthfulness or dishonesty against Mr. Anderson: Parma Idaho Police Department, Oregon State Police and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office," the DA's letter states.

The letter also alleges Anderson was "deliberately deceptive" by failing to disclose his prior employment and termination from the Parma, Idaho Police Department in 2004 — a termination for dishonesty — on his subsequent applications to both the Madras Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

Anderson's Response

Anderson has remained in the race and says the Brady List designation will have no practical impact on his ability to serve as sheriff.

"It will have no impact for me," Anderson said. "The only impact will be for the (district attorney's) office on having me testify."

He also suggested he could overturn the Brady listing "as soon as we get a new DA in there," and expressed confidence that his attorneys would successfully defend his DPSST certifications at the May 21 hearing. If his certifications were revoked, Anderson said he would pursue recertification and could rely on his planned undersheriff in the interim.

Anderson also drew a distinction between his situation and that of former Deschutes County Sheriff Kent Vanderkamp, who resigned after being placed on the Brady List for lying in court cases. Anderson said he has never lied in police reports or on the stand, and that the allegations against him date to his youth.

"This is completely different," Anderson said. "Just know that everything I'm being accused of, or have been accused of, was prior to my law enforcement (career) when I was 19 or 21 years old."

What Happens May 21

The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) has scheduled a committee review of Anderson's certifications for May 21. Oregon law requires that a sheriff either hold a valid law enforcement certification at the time of taking office or obtain recertification within one year. If the committee revokes Anderson's credentials and he is unable to recertify in time, his ability to legally serve as sheriff would be in question.

Anderson and Pollock were not required to face each other in the May 19 primary — since only two candidates filed for the position, their contest will appear on the November general election ballot.

Voters across Jefferson County will weigh all of this context when casting their ballots in November.