Sheriff’s Office pushes back against claims of Spokane protester arrested Sunday

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is defending the arrest of a man prior to a protest on Sunday, citing an outstanding felony warrant from 2013 that was properly served.

Jeremy Logan, the man arrested, said he’s being retaliated against for criticizing the office and Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich.

Logan spoke to national news media outlet Huffington Post this week, linking his own experience with law enforcement in Spokane on Sunday with other stories that have emerged nationwide alleging peaceful protesters have been taken into custody. His arrest occurred before an afternoon event protesting the shooting of Jacob Blake by law enforcement in Wisconsin. Spokane County Sheriff’s Cpl. Mark Gregory said Friday that Logan was arrested by members of the office wearing badges, pursuant to a warrant issued in Douglas County for his arrest in November 2013.

“When we have time, we go out and work warrants,” Gregory said.

Logan, who advocates for tenants’ rights in Spokane, issued a statement Friday through the Spokane Democratic Socialists of America indicating he’d been politically targeted for arrest. He followed up in an interview, reiterating that he’d been arrested by men who wouldn’t identify themselves and that he continued to fear for his safety.

“It’s absolutely intimidation,” Logan said of his arrest.

The warrant for Logan’s arrest was issued by a judge in Douglas County after he’d failed to appear for a financial hearing in July 2013. Logan pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and was fined $2,100, according to court records, and had fallen behind on his payments.

Gregory said officers attempted to contact Logan before Sunday, but were unsuccessful.

Logan said he was pulled over about a year-and-a-half ago by city police, who made note of the outstanding warrant when placing him in custody. But he was informed during that incident Douglas County officials were not interested in extraditing him.

Logan said those arresting him wore plain clothes, refused to identify for whom they worked and offered conflicting accounts of where the warrant for his arrest originated, mentioning Chelan and Okanogan counties.

The warrant issued for Logan’s arrest orders officers to take him to Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan or Grant counties. Gregory said Logan was initially placed in an unmarked car and later handed over to a Spokane Police officer, who took him to the county jail. It’s not uncommon for extradition to be put on hold until a larger group is ready for transport, he said.

Logan said he was informed while in jail that federal agents were interested in talking with him. Logan has made frequent social media posts this summer criticizing law enforcement and in some instances threatening violence, but Gregory said the sole motivation for the arrest was Logan’s outstanding warrant.

Logan said he refused to speak with federal investigators. Christian Parker, a spokesman for the FBI in Spokane, declined to say whether Bureau investigators attempted to talk to Logan, but also said that just because someone is questioned doesn’t mean they’re suspected of a crime.

Logan acknowledged that he hadn’t paid his financial obligations, but said it seemed like he was being singled out by law enforcement because of his statements critical of the sheriff and others.

“All of it is very suspicious, and not normal,” Logan said.

The socialist organization, in its statement, called for a city investigation into the arrest. In response to questions from the Huffington Post, Knezovich issued a statement criticizing the national outlet of biased reporting.

Gregory said Knezovich would make further comment about the incident Tuesday.