Police Tried To Discredit Him, Claims Disgruntled Daredevil Evel Knievel Wants To Show His Scars To Spokane County Jury
Legendary stuntman Evel Knievel wanted to show his scars to a Spokane County jury Monday, but the judge told him to keep his shirt on.
An angry Knievel returned to the witness stand and accused police of “trying to discredit me.”
Knievel, 56, is suing the Ridpath Hotel for invasion of privacy and emotional distress, claiming he was beaten up in his 10th-floor room on Sept. 11, 1989.
A few hours after the alleged incident, several officers said they met the bare-chested Knievel in his room to discuss another matter.
They saw no sign of a struggle or physical injuries. One officer testified earlier in the trial that he was surprised not to see any scars on the former motorcycle daredevil, who became as famous for his spectacular crashes as his successful jumps.
That testimony so incensed Knievel he asked permission Monday to show jurors his surgical scars.
“I’d like to take my shirt off right now … Those scars can be seen from here to that door,” he said with a scowl.
His lawyer, George Diana, pitched the idea to Superior Court Judge Harold Clarke out of earshot of the jury.
“They let O.J. do it,” Diana pleaded.
Clarke refused.
“I’m not Ito,” he said, referring to Simpson trial Judge Lance Ito.
Rebuffed, Knievel angrily ac cused police of spreading lies about him.
“Why would they do that?” asked attorney Michael Nelson, representing the Ridpath and WestCoast Hotels, Inc.
“They’re your witnesses … I have no idea,” Knievel answered.
“In your opinion, they’ve lied?”
“In my opinion, they’ve not told the truth.”
Knievel again denied being friends with Clarence “Cip” Paulsen III, a convicted Spokane cocaine dealer.
Knievel claims Paulsen, 35, attacked him that night after getting a spare key from a Ridpath desk clerk.
After taking several blows to the nose and body from the bigger man, Knievel said he grabbed his .357-caliber Magnum revolver from the nightstand and ordered his assailant to leave.
The motive for the attack?
Knievel said it was either jealousy, because he was in bed with Paulsen’s ex-girlfriend at the time, or attempted robbery, because he had about $11,000 in cash in the room.
Paulsen, who testified Friday, said there was no fight. He and Knievel were drinking buddies and have been for about nine years, Paulsen maintained.
His story:
That night, Knievel went back to the hotel to take a nap. He asked Paulsen to wake him up in a couple of hours. When the time came, about 9 p.m., Paulsen got the key and went to the room.
When he unlocked the door, Paulsen saw the couple in bed. He laughed, closed the door and went on his way.
Knievel said Monday he’d never have a man of Paulsen’s reputation perform a wake-up service. “Why would I have someone who is a cocaine taker and a drunk wake me up?” he asked.
Testimony in the weeklong trial ended Monday afternoon. Lawyers will make closing arguments today.
Diana, who is seeking unspecified damages, said his client was so traumatized by the surprise attack that he feared for his life, couldn’t sleep and plunged into a financially crippling depression that lasted several years.
The hotel admits breaking its privacy rules by giving Paulsen a spare key.
But even if he wins, Knievel isn’t likely to pocket much money because he still owes back taxes to the IRS.
In an interview Monday, Knievel said he’s fighting to prove that a career-long stance against illicit drugs is no sham.
“I’ve been put through hell here,” he said. “But I’m standing up for my own moral belief in myself. Cip Paulsen isn’t going to tear that down.”
Paulsen, the great-grandson of mining and real estate baron August Paulsen, is facing an 11-year prison sentence for his leadership role in a cocaine ring broken up by “Operation Doughboy.”
After making more than 200 deathdefying jumps, Knievel retired in 1980. Since then, he has traveled the country, selling his paintings and endorsing products.