Pasco Officer Accused of Sexually Exploiting Domestic Violence Victim in Lawsuit

LAWSUIT ACCUSES PASCO POLICE OFFICER OF SEXUALLY EXPLOITING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM WHILE ASSIGNED TO HER CASE

PASCO, Wash. — JULY 2, 2026 – A domestic violence victim filed a lawsuit today accusing Pasco Police Officer Branden Upton of using the authority, access and confidential information he gained as the investigating officer on her case to pursue sexual contact with her while she remained under his protection.

The complaint, filed in Franklin County Superior Court, names Upton and the City of Pasco as defendants (Download the Complaint). Plaintiff W.S. brings claims for assault and battery, outrage and intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent hiring, training, supervision and retention, vicarious liability, and sex and gender discrimination under the Washington Law Against Discrimination.

Attorneys Scott W. Edwards and Justin D. Leigh represent W.S.

“This case alleges a profound betrayal of the trust that victims place in law enforcement. Police officers are entrusted with extraordinary power to protect victims, not exploit them. When an officer uses the authority of the badge to pursue or sexually prey upon a crime victim, it is not merely a betrayal of one person—it is a betrayal of the public trust.” Attorney Scott Edwards said.

According to the complaint, W.S. contacted Pasco Police Department’s non-emergency dispatch on March 6, 2026, to report a domestic dispute. The department opened an investigation and assigned Upton as the responding and investigating officer.

Upton came to W.S.’s home, spoke with the parties and later returned to deliver a domestic-violence victim services card containing his contact information and the police case number, the lawsuit alleges. Through that official assignment, Upton obtained W.S.’s home address, telephone number, email address and sensitive details about her relationship and domestic-violence circumstances.

The complaint alleges that Upton quickly converted the investigation into a personal and sexual pursuit of the woman he had been assigned to protect.

After giving W.S. his personal and work email addresses, Upton allegedly invited her to contact him through his personal account. During a March 11 email exchange, Upton told W.S. that she had been “picking up what I was putting down” and proposed visiting her home the next afternoon, according to the lawsuit. He allegedly reminded her that he knew where she lived because police had dispatched him there and directed her to remove her home security cameras before his visits.

On March 12, Upton allegedly drove his patrol vehicle to W.S.’s home while on duty, disabled his city-issued body-worn camera and entered the residence. The lawsuit alleges that sexual contact then occurred under circumstances in which W.S. felt intimidated, coerced and unable to refuse because Upton controlled the investigation into her domestic-violence report.

The complaint further alleges that Upton solicited sexually explicit photographs from W.S. later that day while he remained on duty. He allegedly returned to her home on March 14 after removing his body camera and solicited an explicit video from her on March 16.

Upton continued serving as the investigator assigned to W.S.’s domestic-violence case throughout these interactions, according to the complaint. On March 19, one day before a hearing on W.S.’s request to extend a domestic-violence protective order, Upton allegedly advised her on obtaining police records and presenting her case to the court.

The following evening, Upton allegedly returned to W.S.’s home in his patrol vehicle while on duty, disabled his body camera and engaged in sexual contact with her again.

“Our client did exactly what society asks victims of domestic violence to do: she reached out to law enforcement when she needed help. Instead of receiving protection, she was met with almost immediate sexual advances from the very officer entrusted with her safety. No one who seeks the protection of the law should have to fear exploitation by the person sworn to prevent it.” Edwards added.

The lawsuit alleges that W.S. attempted to end her contact with Upton on March 22. Upton then questioned her about secrecy and matters designed to protect his position as an officer and his personal relationship, according to the complaint.

On March 30, Upton allegedly used a fictitious Facebook profile under the name “Dairy Evans” to arrange a meeting with W.S. at Gesa Stadium in Pasco. During that meeting, the complaint alleges, Upton instructed W.S. to delete their emails and text messages, falsely claim that they knew each other before he became a police officer, lie to any court or judge who asked about their relationship and prevent his wife from discovering what had occurred.

The complaint also alleges that Upton admitted delaying the police report concerning W.S.’s original domestic-violence call because he wanted to pursue a personal relationship with her. The lawsuit asserts that this delay compromised the integrity of the investigation he had sworn to conduct.

“The conduct alleged in this complaint represents a profound abuse of the authority a police officer is given. If these allegations are proven, this was not a lapse in judgment—it was the deliberate exploitation of someone at her most vulnerable, and it demands a full accounting.” Attorney Justin Leigh said.

The lawsuit alleges that Upton’s status as the sole investigator created an extreme power imbalance. He controlled whether and how the police department documented W.S.’s domestic-violence case while simultaneously pursuing sexual contact with her, the complaint states.

“It takes extraordinary bravery to stand up and say what happened, especially against an officer entrusted with your protection. Our client has done exactly that, and I am honored to represent her. Her willingness to come forward may give others the strength to do the same.” Leigh added.

The complaint also seeks to hold the City of Pasco responsible for allegedly failing to train and supervise officers regarding sexual contact with people involved in open investigations, failing to enforce body-worn camera requirements and failing to provide adequate oversight when one officer exercises control over the investigation of a vulnerable domestic-violence victim.

W.S. alleges that the defendants’ conduct caused substantial emotional and psychological harm, including anxiety, fear, shame, humiliation, emotional distress and a loss of trust in law enforcement. She seeks damages in an amount to be determined at trial, treatment costs, statutory attorney fees and other relief allowed by law.

The case is W.S. v. City of Pasco, Branden Upton, Franklin County Superior Court Case No. 26-2-50820-11.

Media Contact: Joe Marchelewski
310-462-2252
joe[at]aijcommunications.com
https://www.aijcommunications.com/

This Case in the Press:

• Tri-City Herald: https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/crime/article316363980.html
• NewsBreak: https://www.newsbreak.com/tri-city-herald-1592585/4748321034203-pasco-police-officer-accused-of-coercing-dv-victim-into-having-sex-with-him