While walking home from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training police academy in Monmouth, Oregon, then-Recruit Deputy Jonathan Zwick saw an orange glow coming from an apartment complex. It was December 8, 2005, and the recruit rushed toward the fire.  

Deputy Zwick and another police recruit ran into the building without regard for their own safety, kicking in several doors to rescue residents whose smoke alarms had failed.  

The two recruits saved 10 lives that night.  

“Afterward, we looked at each other and realized we’d just prevented something that could have been really bad,” said Zwick, who became a detective with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in 2017. 

Polk County Fire Marshal Jason Cane later credited the pair with preventing a tragedy. Detective Zwick received the 2005 Polk County Fire District 1 Citizens Award and a Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Lifesaving Award for his actions. 

Detective Zwick says he realized he had chosen the right profession on that night in Monmouth nearly 21 years ago. 

“What drew me to law enforcement was the ability to never have the same day twice,” Detective Zwick said. “You never know what fire, literal or figurative, you’re going to be putting out that day.” 

From Warrant Strike Team to Detective Unit 

As the agency’s most senior detective, Zwick’s career has transitioned from lifesaving heroism to one marked by thousands of investigative hours and a strong drive to protect the county’s most vulnerable residents. 

Detective Zwick joined MCSO two years after his brother, now-Sergeant Josh Zwick, encouraged him to follow him into law enforcement. Both earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Criminal Justice from Western Oregon University. 

“I don’t regret a day of it,” Detective Zwick said. “By far, the best part of working for the sheriff’s office is that they trust us to do our jobs.” 

Two years into his career, Zwick was selected for the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office’s Warrant Strike Team, created in 2007 to address a backlog of 30,000 outstanding warrants.  

“Deputy Todd Shanks took me under his wing,” Detective Zwick said. “That really helped me get a good foundation.” 

In 2015, the Warrant Strike Team received a Unit Citation for making nearly 8,900 warrant attempts and more than 2,870 arrests, including over 175 Ballot Measure 11 cases (those involving violent crimes and serious sex offenses) between March 2008 and January 2015. 

As a general detective today, Detective Zwick manages between 15 and 30 cases at any given time, while also responding to major crimes throughout Multnomah County. 

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Detective Unit includes general detectives, an FBI Computer Forensics Lab detective, an FBI Safe Streets task force detective, a domestic violence investigator and a detective assigned to jail operations, totaling 11 investigators and one data analyst. 

Detective Zwick said teamwork and multi-tasking are critical skills for detectives.  

“Being able to manage a caseload and triage what’s immediately actionable is a skill I’ve learned throughout the years,” he said. 

Detective Zwick has recently investigated a rise in internet-based scams targeting older adults.  

A 2025 case he and Detective Jordan Smith solved involved criminals impersonating Internal Revenue Service employees and demanding gold as payment.  

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Detective Unit arrested a courier tied to the scam that cost a Corbett woman nearly $250,000. 

“While we were able to make one local arrest, unfortunately, in most of these cases it’s difficult to recover any money because of how quickly it is moved overseas,” Detective Zwick said. 

According to Detective Zwick, these crimes are also difficult to prosecute because the scammers are typically hidden behind IP-hopping addresses. 

“One good way to protect your family would be to set up a family password, especially nowadays with artificial intelligence (AI) being able to impersonate voices,” Detective Zwick said. “Have a password so that if someone gets a phone call from someone pretending to be you, they can ask for the family password that only you would know.” 

Detective Zwick also recommends speaking with vulnerable family members and assuring them that the IRS will never send a courier to pick up gold to resolve late tax payments and the sheriff’s office will never accept gift cards to clear a warrant – another common scam.  

As scams and scammers are evolving, they are now attempting to isolate victims from their friends and family. 

Detectives also respond to online crimes targeting children, often originating on gaming platforms. 

Detective Zwick urges families to look out for gaming platform users who try to move conversations with children to cross-platform chat apps.  

“That is a red flag.”   

East County Major Crimes Team 

Detective Zwick is also part of the East County Major Crimes Team, which includes investigators from Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Gresham Police Department, Port of Portland Police, Oregon State Police, and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. 

In 2023 and 2024, the team managed an average of 22 annual callouts, sometimes juggling three or four major investigations at once, in addition to their usual detective caseload. 

“We resolved about 90% of the homicides that occurred those years,” Detective Zwick said. 

For context, the solvability rate for the over half a million U.S. homicides that occurred from 1990 to 2019 was approximately 63%, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, which tracks the proportion of homicides known to police that are “cleared” (resulting in arrest or are otherwise closed). 

Staying Sharp after Decades of Service 

Detective Zwick insists that decompressing outside of work is vital to remaining sharp and increasing career longevity, success in law enforcement. 

Outside work, he recharges by woodworking, gardening and golfing.  

“I beat my brother Josh at golf all the time,” he joked. “He’ll tell you that’s a lie, but all I have to say about his golf game is ‘fore right’.” 

Detective Zwick says many coworkers may not know one fact he considers indisputable: “I am by far the most athletic of all four Zwick brothers.” 

He credits his hobbies and his wife, Ashley, with helping him maintain the balance needed to remain passionate about law enforcement. 

Over his decades-long career, Detective Zwick has earned numerous awards, including the 2005 DPSST Leo B. App Jr. Outstanding Shooter Award, a 2022 Port of Portland Police Department Recognition Award, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office commendation letters in 2022 and 2024, and numerous unit citations. 

His advice for those considering a law enforcement career is simple. He encourages them to “go on ride-alongs to ensure you’re 100 percent committed to this job and the agency. It’s a very demanding field, but with that demand comes great reward.”