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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Knievel Scared ‘Half To Death’ Daredevil Says His Alleged Attacker Was A ‘Wild Man’

William Miller Staff writer

Evel Knievel made more than 200 death-defying jumps on a motorcycle wearing only a helmet and an Elvislike leather suit for protection.

He once tried rocketing himself across Idaho’s Snake River Canyon.

But the former daredevil said he never felt real fear until a man burst into his downtown Spokane hotel room one night five years ago.

“It scared me half to death,” Knievel told a Spokane County Superior Court jury Wednesday.

The 56-year-old Las Vegas resident is suing the Ridpath Hotel for invasion of privacy and emotional distress because a desk clerk gave Clarence “Cip” Paulsen III a spare key to Knievel’s 10th-floor room.

Minutes later, Paulsen is accused of barging into the room and attacking Knievel, who was in bed with Paulsen’s ex-girlfriend.

During the brief struggle, Paulsen allegedly landed several punches before Knievel could grab his .357-caliber revolver and take aim.

Paulsen then raised his hands in surrender and left the room, Knievel said.

“I thank God I had that pistol or I could have been killed,” he testified.

“… When he came into the room it was like he was a wild man. He was an absolute wild man.”

Knievel said he wound up with a bloody nose and several bruises.

Paulsen, now in the Spokane County Jail awaiting sentencing on federal cocaine-trafficking charges, is expected to tell a different story later in the trial.

In court documents, Paulsen claims he was invited to Knievel’s room that night, Sept. 11, 1989.

He said he opened the door, saw Knievel in bed with the woman, snickered and left.

Attorney Michael Nelson, representing the hotel, said in his opening statement that Knievel and Paulsen were “drinking buddies.”

But Knievel sharply refuted that notion Wednesday.

The celebrity plaintiff said he did everything he could to steer clear of Paulsen, whom he suspected of being involved in drug dealing.

Knievel, a Butte, Mont., native who enjoys visiting friends and playing golf in Spokane, said he once confronted Paulsen outside a downtown car wash.

“I wanted him to quit following me around … He was an antagonist. I couldn’t go anywhere in Spokane without having the jerk show up,” the witness said.

While both men were known to patronize Flaherty’s, a downtown bar-restaurant, Knievel said he would try to keep his distance whenever Paulsen was around.

Knievel never pressed criminal charges against Paulsen, saying he wanted to keep the incident out of the news.

But he claims he told Spokane police officers about the fight several hours later - after Paulsen allegedly tried to plant drugs on him in a bar.

Knievel said he was so traumatized by his run-in with Paulsen that he slipped into a depression that lasted several years, causing him to lose a number of big-money deals.

The lost opportunities, according to his attorney, George Diana, include a planned Las Vegas museum featuring Evel Knievel motorcycles and memorabilia.

But Nelson argued that Knievel’s life at that time was stressful for a number of other reasons: He had serious financial woes and was in trouble with the IRS; his father’s health was failing; his marriage was on the skids; and his health was at risk due to excessive drinking.

Knievel retired in 1980 before fulfilling his dream of flying across the Grand Canyon on a jet-powered motorcycle.

He since has traded his motorcycle for a paintbrush, selling his art around the country. He also does product endorsements and commercials.

Testimony in the trial began Tuesday in Superior Court.