In brief: Stabbing case suspect in jail

A suspect in a stabbing that left a man with a slit throat is back in jail after detectives say he tried to intimidate witnesses in the case.

 Izaac Jermel Innes, who is on probation for second-degree murder, called several people after his arrest and asked them to try to persuade witnesses to change their stories, according to an affidavit filed Tuesday.

Innes, who was free on $50,000 bond, was arrested Tuesday night and appeared in Superior Court on Wednesday, where Judge Michael Price set his new bail at $100,000 for intimidating a witness and two counts of tampering with a witness.

Innes, a self-proclaimed member of the Deuce Avenue Crips, also pleaded not guilty Wednesday to attempted first-degree murder for the alleged incident April 2 in the 12700 block of East 31st Avenue.

Innes, 30, was released from prison in January after serving time for a second-degree murder conviction from 2003.

Attack described as gang fight

In opening arguments Wednesday, a prosecutor described an Oct. 28, 2009, attack as a gang fight that ended with two men being stabbed. But defense attorneys essentially argued that the prosecution lacks enough evidence to convict their client.

Adam Doe, 19, is charged with two counts of second-degree assault in a case where witnesses agreed that he did not do the stabbing.

Deputy Prosecutor Steve Garvin told the Spokane County Superior Court jury that Doe was an accomplice and still “legally is responsible.” Garvin said the case started when Kenneth Budick, a member of a street gang came out of Club Uno in downtown Spokane. Doe and other members of a rival gang saw Budick, who then made gestures of disrespect. That triggered a melee that resulted in the stabbing of Budick and another man, Charles L. Lucious.

The man prosecutors contend committed the stabbing, John D. Proctor, was acquitted by a jury last October.

Crocker to kick off Millwood series

Ryan Crocker, the former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, will lead off a new speakers’ series in Millwood billed as a response to recent hate incidents in the region.

Crocker will discuss the ongoing rebellions in Libya, Egypt and other Middle East countries, according to a news release. The event at 7 p.m. Tuesday is free, and will be held at Millwood Community Presbyterian Church, 3223 N. Marguerite Road.

The second event in the series, featuring North Idaho human rights activist Tony Stewart, is scheduled for May 24.

The church is hosting the series, which is “designed to deepen participants’ knowledge of diverse ethnicities, cultures, struggles and lifestyles,” the release said.

That knowledge is especially important in light of recent local events, such as the attempted bombing on the route of the Martin Luther King Jr. Unity March, it said.

Clerk robbed at Kellogg station

A clerk at the Hill Street Conoco in Kellogg was robbed Tuesday night and then pulled from the store by the robber who then sprayed the clerk with pepper spray when she tried to get away.

Kellogg police said the robber took an undisclosed amount of money in the 9:26 p.m. robbery.

The robber was described as a Native American or Hispanic man, 6 feet to 6 feet 3 inches tall with partly gray hair pulled into a ponytail. He had a mustache and goatee.

Anyone with information should call the Kellogg Police Department, (208) 786-9131.