By Mark Tanos
The Salem Police Union is demanding the city council reverse its decision to reappoint a man who served 28 years for murder to a board that reviews officer conduct.
The Salem City Council voted 5-4 on Dec. 8 to reappoint Kyle Hedquist to the Community Police Review Board, KATU reported. Hedquist was convicted in 1995 for killing Roseburg teenager Nikki Thrasher. Prosecutors said he admitted to murdering her to prevent her from reporting him to authorities.
A judge sentenced Hedquist to life without parole. He also faced separate convictions for armed robbery and kidnapping after holding up a Pizza Hut at gunpoint. Former Democratic Oregon Gov. Kate Brown commuted his sentence in 2022.
He was previously unanimously appointed by the city council to the Community Police Review Board in 2024, KATU reported.
Salem Police Employees Union (SPEU) President Scotty Nowning said members object to providing police training to someone with that background. (RELATED: DC Police Union Boss Says Officers Fudged Crime Data Under Orders From Superiors)
“To think that we’re providing education on kind of how we do what we do to someone with that criminal history, it just doesn’t seem too smart,” Nowning told KATU.
The council also placed Hedquist on the Civil Service Commission, which holds authority over hiring, discipline, and termination decisions for fire and sometimes police personnel, according to SPEU’s website.
Councilor Vanessa Nordyke, who initially supported the appointment, reversed her position this week after union pushback. She acknowledged voting based on Hedquist’s apparent rehabilitation without fully weighing public safety concerns.
City officials admitted they failed to conduct routine background checks before the vote, the outlet reported. The Boards and Commissions Appointments Committee had recommended against reappointing Hedquist, but five councilors overruled that guidance.
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden criticized Brown’s 2022 clemency decision as “grossly irresponsible” and “[callous] toward the crime victim’s family,” according to KVAL.
The council may revisit the appointment at its Jan. 12 meeting.
The Daily Caller reached out to the city council but has not heard back as of publication.
