SOUTH BEND, Wash. — A Pacific County Sheriff’s deputy who is accused of engaging in a high-speed chase with several local youths, then attempting to extort money from their families has been fired, but criminal charges against him have been dismissed, at least for the time being. The state Attorney General’s Office will handle the case, but it hasn’t taken formal action yet.

Last week, Chief Criminal Deputy Pat Matlock said Sheriff Scott Johnson had dismissed Vance Johnson in late August, “after a lengthy disciplinary process.”

“After hearing all of the statements and testimony, as well as reviewing the case thoroughly, (Sheriff Johnson) decided to terminate deputy Johnson,” Matlock said.

Vance Johnson had been on paid administrative leave since April, when the accusations first came to light. The sheriff and the former deputy are not related.

In a Sept. 4 phone interview, Sheriff Johnson said that even though a formal internal hearing has already taken place, the ordeal is “far from over.”

“There are a lot of lawyers involved — he has a lot of guaranteed rights through the union,” the sheriff explained. “I wish the process was short. It’s just like a court proceeding. We have to take it one step at time.”

The former deputy is likely to appeal his dismissal through his union, Scott Johnson said, adding that he knew of at least one case where it took more than two years to finalize a deputy’s dismissal. In some cases, disputed dismissals have to be settled in court.

“Due diligence is critical. If that isn’t done correctly, he could come back to work tomorrow,” Scott Johnson said.

According to the sheriff, the “very complicated and lengthy process” has “absolutely” placed a strain on PCSO staff. Around the same time Vance Johnson was dismissed, another deputy resigned from PCSO, leaving the sheriff with two open positions at the height of summer. On some shifts, the office has had only one deputy patrolling certain parts of the county, he said.

That should change soon — the sheriff anticipates hiring one experienced officer, and one recent police academy graduate in the near future.

“We’re really fast tracking the hiring process to try and get another body out there,” Sheriff Johnson said.

It is still unclear whether ex-Deputy Johnson will face criminal charges.

After the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office completed an investigation, Pacific County Prosecutor David Burke asked Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer to handle the case. Burke cannot prosecute because the case involves people with ties to his office. But that arrangement fell through when Meyer determined that he had a conflict of interest.

Efforts to enlist another county were also unsuccessful, so ultimately, Burke asked the state Attorney General’s Office to take the case.

Vance Johnson had been charged with extortion, bribery, reckless driving and reckless endangerment, but over the summer, those charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning the AGO is free to start from scratch.

The AGO could decide to refile the same charges, different charges or no charges at all, Burke said last week.