Controversial mayor of Pacific arrested by his own police force
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PACIFIC, Wash. -- The controversial mayor in the small town of Pacific was arrested by his own police force Thursday as news photographers captured the action live in City Hall and bystanders hurled criticism at the arresting officers.
Mayor Cy Sun was placed under arrest at around noon after he tried to gain entry into the city clerk's office, which has been off-limits to him for some weeks now.
Sun, who was elected on a write-in vote by voters who said they wanted corruption cleaned up at City Hall, had been warned by police not to try and enter the city clerk's private office, where all the city's personnel files are kept.
Two officers were posted outside the office to keep Sun out, but he tried to push his way past them and ripped down police tape that had been placed across the doorway. The officers then handcuffed Sun and took him into custody.
"You're hurting me! You're hurting me! Let me go!" Sun said as officers clapped the cuffs on him.
During the arrest, several bystanders hurled comments toward the officers.
"You call yourselves a police department? I didn't know we had a Gestapo in Pacific," said one man.
Other bystanders told police they felt that the mayor had a perfect right to enter the city clerk's office.
"That's the law. Do you understand that?" one man said to the arresting officers.
"There aren't one of you that's read the U.S. Constitution at all, not a one of you," another man said to the officers. "You haven't read the Constitution, yet you use strong-arm tactics. I can't believe this pathetic little show."
Sun was later released about an hour later with a warning, and later admitted he had destroyed some documents -- a point he considers irrelevant.
"(I said,) 'This is rubbish,' because I had no idea. I threw it away," he said.
The council president asked the sheriff's office to investigate the destruction claims while a citizen group organized a recall effort in case the mayor doesn't step down. The mayor has said he will not resign.
"The people say I'm the boss. They voted me in," said Sun.
Both the sheriff's office and prosecutor's office are investigating, but neither is clear whether the offices have any legal authority in this case.
The arrest capped months of long-simmering tensions between Sun, members of the city council and Sun's opponents who accuse him of abusing power in the small town on the King-Pierce county line.
In the past few weeks, Sun has locked the city clerk out of her office, fired three heads of department and caused two more to quit. In response, the city council took a vote of no confidence against Sun.
For his part, Sun has refused to back down. He campaigned for the position on the platform of cleaning up City Hall, and that's exactly what he believes he's doing.
"The people were disgusted with the corruption that was going on. I came in to start to clean up the corruption," he said at a recent city council meeting.
Watch the raw video of Mayor Cy Sun's arrest:
Mayor Cy Sun was placed under arrest at around noon after he tried to gain entry into the city clerk's office, which has been off-limits to him for some weeks now.
Sun, who was elected on a write-in vote by voters who said they wanted corruption cleaned up at City Hall, had been warned by police not to try and enter the city clerk's private office, where all the city's personnel files are kept.
Two officers were posted outside the office to keep Sun out, but he tried to push his way past them and ripped down police tape that had been placed across the doorway. The officers then handcuffed Sun and took him into custody.
"You're hurting me! You're hurting me! Let me go!" Sun said as officers clapped the cuffs on him.
During the arrest, several bystanders hurled comments toward the officers.
"You call yourselves a police department? I didn't know we had a Gestapo in Pacific," said one man.
Other bystanders told police they felt that the mayor had a perfect right to enter the city clerk's office.
"That's the law. Do you understand that?" one man said to the arresting officers.
"There aren't one of you that's read the U.S. Constitution at all, not a one of you," another man said to the officers. "You haven't read the Constitution, yet you use strong-arm tactics. I can't believe this pathetic little show."
Sun was later released about an hour later with a warning, and later admitted he had destroyed some documents -- a point he considers irrelevant.
"(I said,) 'This is rubbish,' because I had no idea. I threw it away," he said.
The council president asked the sheriff's office to investigate the destruction claims while a citizen group organized a recall effort in case the mayor doesn't step down. The mayor has said he will not resign.
"The people say I'm the boss. They voted me in," said Sun.
Both the sheriff's office and prosecutor's office are investigating, but neither is clear whether the offices have any legal authority in this case.
The arrest capped months of long-simmering tensions between Sun, members of the city council and Sun's opponents who accuse him of abusing power in the small town on the King-Pierce county line.
In the past few weeks, Sun has locked the city clerk out of her office, fired three heads of department and caused two more to quit. In response, the city council took a vote of no confidence against Sun.
For his part, Sun has refused to back down. He campaigned for the position on the platform of cleaning up City Hall, and that's exactly what he believes he's doing.
"The people were disgusted with the corruption that was going on. I came in to start to clean up the corruption," he said at a recent city council meeting.
Watch the raw video of Mayor Cy Sun's arrest:
 Who was shot 12/11/12 in front of the pacfic police station cant find any info on line I drove by and the person shoot was still in the car behind police tape?????
It's all so "nutty" but on the other hand-Mayor Sun may be on to something here. Not 100% what his personal motives are, and that's my personal concern.
This story  has me glued to the news. This town is out of control, as it turns WA State into a punchline & must stop!Â
I am not a council member. However, I like to make informed decisions and comments based on facts. In order that our governmental system work the best way possible, it is important for the voters to listen to both sides and question our leaders when things are in conflict to find the facts. Sometimes this requires research to previous statements made by our leaders to determine if they are consistent.
Often, our political leaders rely on the voters to make decisions in the moment based on their passion for the situation without review of the politicians past policies or statements for consistency. That is what has created some of the problems this nation is in. It is important to our elected leaders accounted for what they do and say and expect consistency. Too often, they change with the wind to respond to the most vocal group of supporters.
 @Fast Eddy 98047 Wow amazing I didn't catch this before. Fast Eddy writes just like ousted mayor Hildreth lol, Hi Rich
In reading the notes from the meeting in January when Mayor Sun proposed Mr. Luce as attorney, he said that he knew him for many years. I guess he didn't know him as well as he thought he did. It is strange though, it seems like the mayor fires anyone that has a disagreement with him. Has he advertised or interviewed for any of the vacant positions?
 @Fast Eddy 98047 Yep that happens fast eddy/Hildreth. Sometimes you think you know someone only to realize they are a snake in the grass whom you didn't really know at all. The best thing to do is cut them lose. Happens all the time. The mayor should fire anyone who is not loyal to his administration. Heck what do you think is going to happen to Obama's cabinet when he loses?Â
Wow if you read the notes from meetings way back to January you shouldn't be asking me questions as, obviously, there is more to fast eddy than meets this forum. No regular everday Pacific citizen reads the meeting notes. Should I call you councilmember?
fasteddy No, I'm saying the city attorney turned out to be an ungratful, backstabbing, money grubbing, disloyal, evil self-serving cunning schemer. Do any of always know how someone we hire is going to turn out? Especially attoneys lol. Isn't that why there are all the attorney jokes? Yes a DECENT, HONORABLE, city attorney is needed but first LUCE needs to get his rear out the door. Even if that takes a court injunction, complaints to the WA state bar, or loss of his license. WHAT I'M MAKING IT SOUND LIKE IS THERE ARE A LOT OF DISHONORABLE PEOPLE OUT THERE AND UNFORTUNATLY ATTORNEYS SEEM TO TOP THE LIST. Of course the Mayor couldn't have possibly known this attorney was like that.
711Cares - Are you saying Mayor Sun hired an "incompetent idiot"? Why would he do that? Did he interview attorneys before making the decision or just pick a name out of a phone book? You make it sound like the Mayor does not have a good plan for hiring and firing people.   In the current state of turmoil a City attorney is needed. Does he have a new City attorney selected? Did he use more thought than when he hired Luce?
 @Fast Eddy 98047 Hildreth/eddy you are still twisting words. Get a job
URGENT: TOMORROW, Tuesday the 24th at 6:00 p.m. at Pacific city hall in the council room ------- the civil service commision of Pacific - which is basically some councilmembers and their hand picked appointees - are holding a hearing regarding the firing of ex chief of police John Calkins TRYING to bring this lunatric, criminal, drunk back as OUR Chief of Police. John Calkins will be there!
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ALSO:Â Â Tonight, Monday at 6:30 p.m. there is a council meeting with audience participation for 3 minutes each person.Â
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 I'm sure you remember KOMO's Tracy Vedder did numerous stories on Calkin's arrests and there was an outside investigation of Calkins which determined him to be dishonest and having abused his authority. Calkins was arrested for drunk driving in Bonney Lake, investigated for threatening his wife's ex husband brandishing a firearm, interfered and intimidated witnesses in a car accident John Calkin's son caused resulting in serious injury to others, and a trespass incident wherein Calkins actually removed the post to a gate to private property he had been illegally hunting on and threatened the property owner and the owner called the police.
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 Calkins served at the mayor's pleasure and Mayor Sun fired Calkins as ex mayor Hilreth was either too cowardly to fire Calkins or, likely, Hildreth and Calkins had some kind of agreement benefiting them, both.Â
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 Calkins should have been fired years ago, and finally Mayor Sun gave the citizens what they wanted and that was firing Calkins.Â
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 I'm sorry for the short notice. There is NO way the civil service commision can keep the PUBLIC from this hearing as all hearings are open to the public, but they don't want you there, obviously.
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 THE CITIZENS OF PACIFIC ARE GOING TO COME UNGLUED IF FIRED EX POLICE CHIEF CALKINS COMES BACK.Â
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 I've had numerous residents tell me that if the ONLY thing Mayor Sun accomplished was firing Calkins then he was worth electing. That is how much the citizens dislike and fear Calkins. The council and their civil service commitee want to bring Calkins back because Calkins, like the city council, opposes Mayor Sun and Calkins (based on his arrests and charges against him and my own first hand knowledge) will have no problem doing whatever the council wants legal or illegal.
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 I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I mean, seriously, when the Mayor fires police officers "who refuse to walk and get out" why should I be surprised of this attempt to get fired ex police chief Calkins back?
During the campaign the mayor promised removal of all the overpaid staff. That was accomplished.  Clearly some employees aided this by departing on their own saving the City an increase in unemployment insurance rates. Did the mayor have a plan for replacement? Or can the City due without?
Now that the honorable Mayor Sun has fired two attorneys, the second one hand selected by him, what are his plans for legal advice?
Is the mayor going to stop a former public official from using City property free of charge for storage of their personal belongings? Or is someone at City Hall protecting this person violating the "gift of public funds" doctrine?
fasteddy Yes the mayor fired the city attorney he chose because that attorney Luce is an incompetent idiot. But, that attorney WON'T leave either. That attorney's last day was last week, but he stays. This Luce attorney will be lucky to keep his law license. What happened is after Mayor fired this attorney for releasing confidential data and for this attorney trying to help his attorney son who was seen with his arm around council president John Jones hamming it up. This city attorney Luce told the council they could stop his own firing if the council voted to keep Luce the attorney as a CONTRACT employee. Which is in violation of the Mayors executive authority to hire and fire. So the fired attorney writes up the ordinance and the city council passes it so this attorney can do the city council's bidding against our mayor. This will not end well
Sarah are you saying the recall effort is being led by a non Pacific resident? I really need to know. From what I know from my attorney friends a recall effort cannot be led by ANYONE who is not able to vote in the municipality of which the official is being attempted recall. If this is true.  Tracey Apata of Bonney Lake which just happens to be the same town and close to where the ex fired drunk ex police chief Calkins lives. Same city and all.  Tracy can waste her time and other's money, but as soon as the judge finds out she's not a resident of Pacific the judge will declare Tracy has no standing (owning a business doesn't give her that) and the judge will toss the harpys crap right out of court.
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That would be like you or I starting a recall effort on Mayor Lewis of Auburn. It's not valid. Wow this is big news. I'm calling the news media all of them and I hope you and others do to. Thanks for this, girl.Â
 @711 Cares Tracy Apata is one of the finest, hard working persons I know. Even though she live in another city she has give hundreds of hour of volunteer work to Pacific. She has give of herself even though she has MS, you never hear her complain but you see her working to better others. I am very tired of all the slander, hate and anger that I see here. PLEASE can we keep this professional and kind. What can we do to fix things and move forward?
 @711 Cares John Calkins does NOT live in Bonney Lake. If someone is going to submit an entry to this format, let's get the facts straight. Mr. Sun is a compulsive liar, a bomb waiting to go off, a dictator, and a person who is not capable of even conducting a council meeting, let alone serving as a mayor for the residents of Pacific. Sun is all for Sun and if you cross his path, he'll either fire you, threaten you, or beat you up with a pipe.
Wow Cruickshank your description of Sun sound's strikingly similiar to how many describe you.
Yes that is what I am saying! Isn't that crazy. As soon as someone calls her out, she will hand the lead over to someone she can control.
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What do they not want him to see?
Likely they do not want him to see some crap ex clerk Jane Montgomery has that the Mayor can use against HER.
Get your story straight gnwstguy! Bob Boyd and his utility crew were there to move the city clerk back into the room she was originally in and the Mayor was going to take his office back! If you don't have your facts straight, do us all a favor and keep your mouth shut.
Right on Sarah. I ALREADY told gnwstguy this but he just keeps harping the same BS. Bob Boyd and the utility crew were also there with hand dollies to move the city records back to the front office staff so they can do their jobs. They can't keep doing their jobs with those files in an empty office that the soon to be fired city clerk Jane Montgomery THINKS belong to her. The utility crew needs the front office staff to have access to their personell files for insurance claims and etc. Wow, those women in the front office really HATE Jane Montgomery now. They didn't like her before but now they hate her for all this BS she's causing cause they can't do their jobs and Jane is just being a harpy who none of the office staff want to work with.
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Of course Jane cares. That's why she moved in that closet of an office before the mayor GAVE her HIS office to use. Who cares what Jane thinks now. SHE IS HISTORY.
The way things are going Pacific will be a thing of the past vey soon. Auburn does not want Pacific. The way they see it is south of the county line goes to Sumner, and north goes to Algona. That would make a few past council members roll over in their graves.
pnwstguy YOU just make crap up. Auburn said they would consider taking Pacifc. And why wouldn't they? It increases their tax base and the Paciic residents use the Auburn amenities now as it is. Auburn can take Pacific because there is a common boundary line by C street. BUT I ALREADY TOLD YOU THIS. Are you senile and can't remember or are you just a BS troublemaker. NVM I don't care what you are. You're nuts.
Pacific, Wa needs to keep independent ! This little town is where i lived for about a year and i lived their during the floods ! Only someone who has lived their knows the town is a little piece of whats left of small town USA ! The corruption needs to be rooted out whoever it maybe if the mayor thinks their is something in that room that's so important then he needs to file papers in a court of law  to gain access not make a media fiascoes out of it!!! Thats just how it is , any other way is unlawful !! If your the mayor you need to follow the law just like the rest of us elected or not!
Wow PDFC902 you are dumb as a rock and know nothing of the law. The mayor doesn't need to file papers in court to access his own offices and his own files. Under our Strong Mayor form of government the Mayor is the ultimate law enforcement official in Pacific and has every right to enter that office and gain any documents he wants in that office or any other. As I've posted over and over on this forum the King County Sheriff on camera stated clear enough for even you to understand stating the mayor has every right to enter any office and every right to all city documents AS HE IS THE MAYOR.  YOU are a prime example of why Pacific should not keep independent you and all the other no nothing fools just like you. FYI that OFFICE is the MAYORS OFFICE he let Jane use it and now he wants it back as Jane is never coming back and even if she did she needs to be back in her closet of an office and the mayor has a right to do that. OUR mayor is not a figurehead like in Federal way. Our mayor is the boss period in the strong mayor form of governement. It's always the IGNORANT that talk about how they think the LAW works and you are not just wrong and uneducated in the law, you expect to keep Pacific some dinasour small town when that's most of the problem. You've only lived here a year explains SO much of how nieve you are.Â
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Iceberg your the pot calling the kettle black. Oh before you go off on a rampage that's a figure of speech lol not a racist comment.
 @PDFC902 can the citizens really save pacific? our little city (X) has 939 people and over a million dollar budget. if we loose state and federal funding there won't be a city anymore unless we want to support it by dividing the one million by 939 households and  i don't think that will happen.
Hate to tell you 32jim2 but our town has 6,000 people counting the kids and very few registered voters.
Cy Sun was just putting on a show. He called the TV cameras, had all of his favorite henchmen in the hall including puppet string puller Erickson, Bob Boyd, and old timer Scroggins. A bunch of losers setting up mr. Sun for a fall.
Pnwstguy you have posted this SAME speech over and over on this forum. Give it up. It doesn't matter who called KOMO. You've accused me of doing it and now the mayor. Who the heck cares how KOMO got there. A city employee, the council, you, murderer councilmember Hulsey, fired Calkins, robert smith, drunk stieger anyone of them could have called KOMO. What is your problem with the news media being there anyway? You got something to hide? Oh I know your upset the news media filmed the cops acting like idiots and your know if the media wasn't there the cops would have really roughed our 80 year old mayor up and likely killed him making false claims they had to taze him and THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED. Tough you didn't get it. I guarantee you the media will be johnny on the spot from now on because there are a lot of angry city employees who will call the second there is even a hint of trouble.Â
I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if the city employees don't start filming what's really going on down there on there cell phone cameras from now on. In fact I'd bet money on it. Too bad for you
Lets hope we see the gangsters and corrupt police officers who have hijacked city hall in federal prison soon. Good luck Mr. Mayor, we all stand behind your efforts to give the government back to the people.
Holice I will be gong to the next council meeting to support the mayor and oppose the ganster insubordinate police deptartment. I hope you and the others of like minds on this forum go as well. Like many of you I haven't been going to council meeting because the hate mongrels and the corrupt police clog and smell up the room. But, I'm going to google city of Pacific WA and find out when the next council meeting is and show up. I know at the council meetings (not the council workshops) there is an audience participation time where you can speak for 3 minutes. Let's all go. We don't have to give our screen names. That wouldn't be good cause then know nothing pnwst guy will lose it more than he already has on this forum
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Wow ICEBERG do you have ANY self control? I wake for work, check my email, and see YOU'VE responded to ME SEVEN times. Wow get a life.Â
What's with YOU saying I dont want to give up screen names and calling me a coward? If your saying YOU ICEBERG, ISN'T THAT YOUR SCREEN NAME, want MY personal name YOUR INSANE AND A HYPOCRITE.  You want to know who I am so bad (verify your a dude) and we'll get together and you'll definetly know more than my screen name. What are you Hildreth, Smith, Hulsey (murderer)? You've got to be one of the group of crazies. Â
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@Holice Wood There never has been corruption. Nothing to clean up. Most people in town want him gone. There is a handful of loudmouths commenting here, but they are the minority.
pnwstguy can you SEE the posts on this forum? Can you understand what you read? Evidently not! If you could you would see there is support for the mayor here and that is why so many posters are slamming your nonsense. Cy Sun WON the election so his supporters are not the minority. YOU and your voting for dimwitt no job Hildreth are the minority with the BIG mouths. You are such a manipulater. Over and over you have been corected and NOTHING gets through to you. I don't care to turn you to the Cy side. I just want you to not be so STUPID. But, that's impossible
pnwstguy! What world are you from? It's just the opposite. The council acts as though their desires and view  are the desires and views of the people. THEY ARE NOT! The council wants you to think their views are the majority. That is called Cultural Hegemony! A few who think they are in power try to make their views the views of the people. Hitler did this when he got the German people to think it was ok to murder thousands of Jews and turn their skins into lamp shades. He was successful in making everyone think this is the way it should be. The people with the most power have the ability to do this. Since the city council has the backing of the Gestapo, they are the ones with power now. Look up Cultural Hegemony on the internet. Learn something new.
 @pnwstguy "most people in the town want him gone" "there are a couple loud mouths commenting here, but they are the minority" You are just like Tracey Apata AND HER OVERLY INFLATED EGO. Assuming somehow that you have taken a poll of the city and present your opinions as fact.
I have heard from a reliable source that Mayor Sun was contacted by a prominent attorney about helping him through this and getting some justice for him and and the rest of us.
Kevin you are correct on the prominent attorney except for the fact that citizens contacted this prominent law firm when Cy was in the holding cell. And this attorney is the best of the best along with the other partners in the firm. So, changes and protection will be coming. There will be a stop to the police crap and the council passing frivilous unenforcable ordinaces assumning the Mayor's Executive authority and trying to take the legal power of the mayor away. I suspect there will be civil damage lawsuits filed against these corrupt players in this mess asking for hundreds of thousands in punitive damages as well as likely criminal charges and firings. The city council. the police, and the idiots are all going to get what's coming to them.
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iceberg and you're the snowman whose big orange carrot nose we are going to eat in our victory salad.
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OttoMatich the city attorney nor the clerk DO NOT HAVE THIS POWER. Which is fine because they are giving the Mayor the rope he needs to hang them all. The city attorney will be lucky if he keeps his license to practice law and then the plan for the city attorney's new lawyer son and buddy council president and mayoral candidate LOSER john jones will fall flat and they will ALL get what they deserve
 @OttoMatick Problem is the council took the power of executive authority from the mayor in making firing decisions of the city attorney.
Kevin, that unlawful act of the legislative council passing ordinances/resolutions granting themselves the mayor executive authority will NOT last long. Pnwstguy IF you'd seen the ordinances and knew the 3 branches of government, and the powers granted each you'd have the capability of understanding KEVIN'S STATEMENT IS ACCURATE.
The city council's taking of the mayors Executive authority in hiring and firing is unconstitutional and not allowed under our Strong Mayor form of government, so the longer the council acts in an executive authority that belongs to the mayor the more hot water they will be in when this all shakes out
WOW GOTTA RUN A VIRUS SCAN. DID THE CY HATE MONGRELS INFECT ME
The city council's taking of the mayors Executive authority in hiring and firing is unconstitutional and not allowed under our Strong Mayor form of government, so the longer the council acts in an executive authority that belongs to the mayor the more hot water they will be in when this all shakes out
@Kevin Cline @OttoMatick This is an inaccurate statement.
 @pnwstguy  @Kevin  @OttoMatick what is inaccurate about it? the council voted on a repeal of an ordinance and essentially placed the ability to fire the city attorney in the hands of our "competent" council.