Salem, Oregon – The Salem city council has voted to keep Kyle Hedquist on the city’s civilian police oversight board despite serving decades in prison for a 1995 aggravated murder conviction.
In a 5 to 4 vote, the council approved a slate of board and commission appointments that included Hedquist’s reappointment to the Community Police Review Board. The move came after the council’s Boards and Commissions Appointments Committee had recommended leaving the seat vacant, citing the city’s requirement that an applicant’s criminal history be weighed in appointment decisions.
The police review board’s role is narrowly defined but symbolically significant. Salem describes it as an option for residents who have already gone through the police department’s internal investigation process and remain dissatisfied with the outcome, allowing them to request an additional review by the citizen board.
Hedquist’s background has been central to the dispute. He was convicted of aggravated murder in the killing of 19-year-old Nikki Thrasher and served 27 years in prison before then-Governor Kate Brown granted clemency in 2022, making him eligible for release.
That clemency decision drew sharp opposition at the time from law enforcement and prosecutors, including a public statement from Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin condemning the release and describing the crime as calculated and execution style.
The recent council vote also surfaced a process concern inside city government. During the debate, city officials discovered that background checks were not consistently conducted for previous appointments, raising questions about how criminal histories have been evaluated across boards and commissions.
