A protest spurred by a Spokane County Sheriff’s deputy statement drew more than 300 people to the Spokane Valley Police Precinct parking lot Saturday. The protest centered on a military surplus vehicle the county has acquired, and a statement made by a sheriff's deputy.
A series of speakers criticized County Sherriff Ozzie Knezovich and called on him to give back the mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle (MRAP). A video of a deputy saying the MRAP was needed to protect deputies from people who stockpile weapons and ammunition, such as “constitutionalists,” went viral after it was posted on the Info Wars website.
Constitutional activist Gavin Seim said the problem is that law enforcement is becoming increasingly militarized.
He said “If they can have an MRAP, we can have a tank.”
At the rally, state representative Matt Shea called on Knezovich to apologize or resign for his deputy’s comment.
On a clip from the “Info Wars” website, Undersheriff Jeff Tower said the deputy‘s comments may have stepped over the line.
Tower: “It was a poor choice of words and he doesn’t feel that way and neither does anyone else in the sheriff's office, it was a poor choice of words that doesn’t represent his values or our values.”
The sheriff’s office released a statement saying that the deputy should have used the word “extremist” to refer to people who believe their ideology justifies violent attacks.
