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McMinnville man asks Yamhill County commissioners to review alleged falsified crash report by sheriff's office
Summary
Joe Shirley told the board his 04/17/2025 motorcycle crash was misreported by the sheriff's office, alleges withheld body-camera footage and false statements in the DMV report, and asked commissioners to acknowledge his complaint and order an independent review and attachment of his supplemental statement.
At a Yamhill County Board of Commissioners meeting, McMinnville resident Joe Shirley delivered a prolonged public comment accusing the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office of falsifying his crash report and withholding evidence, and asked the board to take civilian oversight steps.
Shirley recounted a motorcycle crash on April 17, 2025, and said physical evidence and body-worn-camera footage show he was conscious and coherent at the scene. "The official report is false, and they know it," Shirley said, asserting supervisors refused to attach his certified supplemental statement to the official record and have ignored public-records requests for body-camera footage.
He described what he called obstruction and misstatements by deputies and supervisors, alleged a rushed DMV crash report was filed without interviewing him, and said he filed a citizen complaint on Aug. 12, 2025 that went unacknowledged. Shirley asked the commissioners to acknowledge his complaint on the record, direct the sheriff's office to attach his supplemental statement to the official report, and order an independent review for possible falsification, negligence and evidence suppression.
No Yamhill County Sheriff's Office representative responded during the meeting. Commissioners acknowledged Shirley's testimony but did not take immediate action during the session; Shirley told the board he came seeking civilian oversight because he said internal complaint channels were a dead end.
What's next: Shirley requested the board's acknowledgment and an independent review; the transcript records his request and the commissioners' acknowledgement, but no formal directive or vote addressing his demands was recorded at the meeting.
