Jay Wallace is breaking his silence on the controversy that cost him his job as a sheriff’s deputy and damaged his candidacy for Island County Sheriff.

Wallace was fired by Sheriff Mike Hawley earlier this year after an internal investigation found that he had neglected procedure by not responding to 911 calls in Freeland where a woman was assaulted by a man and held against her will.

Wallace, however, still says the charges he is facing in court on Nov. 27 are based on politically motivated lies. And he said the results of a lie-detector test show he has been telling the truth about the 911 incident and prove his innocence.

Any officer would have acted the way he did given all the circumstances, Wallace said.

“The whole thing has been a lie from the beginning,” he said. “It’s been a political assassination.”

Wallace was charged by the state Attorney General’s Office for allegedly lying on a police report. He pleaded not guilty in Island County court in late September, and the trial is set for Nov. 27.

Wallace said he underwent a polygraph test on July 6 to prove his innocence. The test was requested by the deputy’s union. The union is helping Wallace fight his dismissal.

A certified polygrapher conducted the test, Wallace said.

His pass rate of 100 percent indicates the truthfulness of his version of the incident, Wallace said, and casts serious doubt on the veracity and motivation of allegations against him.

Wallace also claims that Hawley, through lawyers, offered him a deal to take back the termination of employment if Wallace would drop any legal action against the sheriff’s office.

“The exact wording was, I could come back, retire, in exchange for forgoing legal actions,” he said.

“I denied that, as I wanted to maintain my right as an American to file a lawsuit,” Wallace said.

Hawley denies ever offering such a deal.

“Absolutely not — is that clear enough?” Hawley said.

The sheriff said it’s difficult for him to comment on the incident further, because he said his comments could influence a potential jury.

Wallace could not provide records documenting the offer, but he said he had witnesses.

Wallace spoke to reporters about the polygraph test earlier this week.

He also discussed details about the 911 incident for the first time in months.

Wallace said when he first went to the home where two 911 hang-up calls had been dialed, a woman came to the door while putting on pants. When she recognized Wallace as an deputy, Wallace said, she ran toward the back of the home and refused to come to the door.

Wallace said he could not see any injuries or evidence for a fight, so he left.

He chose ignore the second 911 call from the same address to stay close to another incident, he said.

Wallace said didn’t go back to the Freeland home because there had been more than one 911 hang-up call that night that didn’t check out. And secondly, the women had not appeared to be in distress during his first visit to the home.

He also said that while the incident was later portrayed as a hostage situation, the woman’s first discussion with I-COM emergency dispatchers contradicts that claim.

On I-COM’s 911 recordings of the call, the woman can be heard telling the dispatcher that a man who has several warrants out for his arrest is in her house and won’t leave.

She said he wouldn’t open the door, according to 911 recordings released earlier by Island County.

“Now, who would want to go back in the house if somebody inside wants to hurt her?” Wallace asked.

Wallace also alleges gross mistakes in the internal investigation.

“They never interviewed me, my wife or my witness,” Wallace said.

All he got was a questionnaire about the incident, he added.

The 911 controversy has overshadowed every other issue in Wallace’s campaign for county sheriff.

Hawley is not seeking re-election, and the primary race for the Republican spot on the ticket drew three challengers. Wallace, a former Republican, is running as a Democrat, but the Democratic Party does not support his candidacy.

Despite the 911 controversy, Wallace got the most votes during the September primary. He pulled in 4,363 votes.

Wallace will face off against Republican Mark Brown in November, who got 4,177 votes in the primary.

Michaela Marx Wheatley can be reached at 221-5300 or mmarxwheatley@southwhidbeyrecord.com.