Kent Vander Kamp, candidate for Deschutes County Sheriff, filed for a temporary restraining order Wednesday to prevent his employment documents from the La Mesa Police Department from being released, reversing his earlier position that he would publicly release the files himself.

But in a strange twist of events, Oregon Public Broadcasting obtained the records accidentally, after Vander Kamp’s lawyers inadvertently released the 110-page document while filing for the temporary restraining order.

The documents, as reported by OPB, provide additional context to Vander Kamp’s explanations as to why he left the La Mesa, California, police department 27 years ago. After personally receiving the documents last week, Vander Kamp stated in a campaign release he was terminated for using a radar gun he did not have a certification for. He also said he failed to log a gas station stop, but that allegation was dismissed.

Those who have seen the documents say they show that Vander Kamp failed to disclose additional context in the radar gun incident. According to the documents, when he was confronted with the error of using equipment he was not certified in, Vander Kamp allegedly insisted he had a certification and would contact the Los Angeles Police Department to furnish proof. It was later discovered that Vander Kamp did not have a certification, according to OPB.

This information tracks with documents obtained from the city of La Mesa by The Bulletin, including a deposition by Capt. Matthew Nicholass from the La Mesa Police Department that suggests Vander Kamp was accused of dishonesty and that the Los Angeles Police Department was also involved in the investigation.

Public records requests

Included in Vander Kamp’s temporary restraining order documents are emails that show Deschutes County intended to fulfill public records request by Wednesday afternoon. Vander Kamp’s lawyers opposed that, but then accidentally released the documents to OPB before a judge could hear the case.

The Bulletin also submitted a public records request to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 1, the same day as OPB, to obtain the La Mesa documents. On Thursday, Deschutes County Undersheriff Paul Garrison responded to The Bulletin’s request for an explanation, saying it was an “oversight by my Office that we did not contact you earlier this week and notify you of our intent to produce those documents for you.”

David Doyle, from the Deschutes County legal department, said he was unaware of The Bulletin’s request and confirmed that, if the judge dismisses Vander Kamp’s temporary restraining order at the scheduled hearing Friday, The Bulletin will also receive the documents from La Mesa.

The Bulletin has also requested the sheriff’s office provide a report of expenses related to its attempts to acquire the documents from La Mesa.

The La Mesa lawsuit itself surrounds an unfulfilled public records request. In April, Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson requested Vander Kamp’s records from the La Mesa Police Department, but when Nelson’s public information request for Vander Kamp’s employment records came back empty, he sued the city for failing to disclose records that a captain in the La Mesa Police Department told Nelson had been retained.