DNA links Pullman PD sergeant to sexual abuse of WSU freshman

Melissa Luck by Melissa Luck

PULLMAN, Wash – Court documents filed Tuesday in Whitman County detail the allegations against a Pullman Police sergeant, accused of having sex with a WSU student while she thought she was being arrested. Court documents say his semen on her sleeve led to criminal charges in the case.

The incident happened March 30. A freshman at WSU says she was drinking at several parties in the Greek Row area of campus. While she was walking back to the dorm, the court paperwork says Sgt. Dan Hargraves saw her stumbling and obviously intoxicated. He advised her to get in the back seat of his patrol car, took her to her dorm and gave her a warning for her intoxication.

According to the court documents, Hargraves told the girl to stay in her dorm for the night.

A short time later, a WSU Police sergeant reported seeing the same student outside of her dorm. She was again described to be staggering and appeared intoxicated, so he stopped to check on her. She told the WSU Police officer that another officer had already warned her about being drunk. WSU Police said he was going to cite her for Minor in Possession and told her to go back inside for the night. She told the WSU Police officer “she would do anything” to keep from being punished. He told her there was not and instructed her to go back to her room.

Court documents say Sgt. Hargraves heard the student’s name called over the police radio. He came to the dorm and told the WSU Police officer that he had contacted the student earlier in the night.

Court documents say the student didn’t want to be alone in her room, so she again left to meet up with friends. That’s when the student says Sgt. Hargraves came by and said “You disobeyed me. I told you not to leave your dorm before. Now, I have to take you to the station because you didn’t obey my orders.” The student says he did not place her in handcuffs, but she believed she was under arrest.

When in the back seat of the vehicle, the student was crying and pleading with Sgt. Hargraves. “I’ll do anything not to get arrested,” she reportedly told him. She explained her dad was very strict about drinking and that she did not want to spend the night in a jail cell.

Sgt. Hargraves allegedly said, “What are you willing to do?” The student said she was willing to pay him a good sum of money. She said he became very quiet, then Sgt. Hargraves stopped the vehicle.

Cell phone data shows the student ended up at the Reaney Park area. She says “he opened her door, instructed her to get out and get down on her knees… [she] remembered hearing him undo his pants. [She] has a vague recollection of performing oral sex on Hargraves.” She remembers wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

She says Hargraves then instructed her to get back in the police vehicle and he dropped her off at Rogers Hall where her friends were expecting her.

About five days later, the student reported the incident to the Office for Equal Opportunities. At that time, the Washington State Patrol was called in to investigate.

WSP swabbed Hargraves vehicle for evidence of semen, but none was found. Semen was found on the student’s sleeve. According to the WSP investigation, the DNA found on the student’s sleeve matched Sgt. Hargrave’s DNA.

Hargraves was booked into the Whitman County Jail Tuesday morning. He’s scheduled to appear before a judge on the charge of Custodial Sexual Misconduct in the First Degree.

Hargraves has worked for the Pullman Police Department for 19 years and has been a sergeant for 14 years.

Be the first to know with the KAPP-KVEW TV news app. Breaking news alerts, watch live newscasts and get the most up-to-date local news on the go. Click here to download for iOS and Android.

COPYRIGHT 2020 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.