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January 22, 2011 in City
Agents gaining ‘clarity’ on Spokane bomb
FBI calls case a top priority, anticipates long investigation
Federal investigators indicated Friday that they have made progress in their efforts to identify the person or persons who left a bomb Monday along the route of the planned Martin Luther King Jr. march.
“We’ve obtained quite a bit of clarity” about the events surrounding the discovery of the bomb, said Frank Harrill, special agent in charge of the Spokane office of the FBI. “But we still have a lot of work ahead of us.”
Asked if investigators were close to making an arrest, Harrill said it was impossible to predict because of many factors. But he said the investigation is his office’s highest priority.
Harrill said his colleagues in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other local law enforcement agencies that make up the Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force, appreciate the leads they have received and renew their request for any information about who may have left a lethal bomb during a thwarted attempt at domestic terrorism. Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at (206) 622-0460.
The bomb was found in a black Swiss Army brand backpack Monday morning on a metal bench at the northeast corner of Washington Street and Main Avenue. It was along the planned route of the Martin Luther King Jr. march.
Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, who took part in the march, said his agency has one detective assigned to the terrorism task force and another helping from his criminal intelligence unit.
He said he receives daily briefings from Harrill on the progress of the case.
Knezovich called the attempted bombing an “extreme act of cowardice. And if you are going to do this in our community, we are coming at you with everything we have.”
As a law enforcement officer, he said he understands that he at times will have to put his life in danger.
“But we had schoolchildren with us in the march,” he said. “Our schoolchildren should not be at risk.”
Earlier this week, investigators sent the bomb – which other security sources said could have been detonated by a remote triggering device – to the FBI lab in Quantico, Va.
Harrill has indicated that evidence from that analysis could take several days and may be needed before investigators levy charges against any potential suspects.
“This is an intense, and likely to be a lengthy, investigation,” he said. “Once we make an arrest, it will still be a lengthy investigation. It is very likely to be complex, but we will establish the ground truth.”
Closing Geiger: Wise or worrisome? 
DHF on January 22 at 6:17 a.m.
Your local Police and Sheriff’s may be accomplished in the art of shooting citizens but probably could not track an Elephant through a snowbank. Thank goodness they brought in FBI. Hopefully you will get results.
jimvw2 on January 22 at 6:40 a.m.
Enough with the cheap shots at Sheriff Knezovitch. He’s doing the best job he can in a NRA-induced gun slinger culture that Spokane must try to survive. Want officer-involved shootings to stop? Then start complying with their commands. When an officer says “put the weapon down,” then put the damned weapon down. Better yet, save your weapon for hunting season. When we stop acting like gun slingers, the gun violence will cease.
lewis8457 on January 22 at 7:37 a.m.
jimvw2 really? How many have been shot holding guns two? while the others had rocks and knives. None of these people pointed the weapon at the offices. So maybe what the police should do is stop shooting people and let the judge decide if he needs to be sentenced to death.
I suggest you stop putting so much whiskey in your morning coffee.
lewis8457 on January 22 at 7:56 a.m.
Knezovich called the attempted bombing an “extreme act of cowardice. And if you are going to do this in our community, we are coming at you with everything we have.”
even if your just a depressed person in the street with a rock in your hand they will shoot you dead.
You tell em Ozzie
wcougars on January 22 at 8:13 a.m.
This is a sick person or persons who would do this and is blatant terrorism, the same seen in the Middle East.
D Statler on January 22 at 8:29 a.m.
Now there are TWO more overpaid detectives that should have been out patroling our streets. Maybe our police would have spotted the whacko dropping the backpack if they were doing what we intended for them to do! WALKING THE BEAT!Luckily we had public works employees patroling.I hope when the FBI finds this Whacko they stick around and weed out some of our corrupt (CRACK GIVING)detectives, heavy handed patrol officers and malicious prosecutors.Our County Commissioners don’t seem to want to do anything about them!
D Statler on January 22 at 8:41 a.m.
NRA induced gunslingers? LOL , Even a good hunter looks at what is behind our intended target.Unlike the Spokane police that riddled a school with bullits during one of it’s JUSTIFIED killings. I believe there were homes hit with police bullits also. I hope the police cowboys never start shooting in our neighborhood. We are eventually going to have innocent people hurt by this type of conduct. The high speed chases thru residential neighborhoods is very concerning also. I think I’ll stick with the “NRA Gunslingers” at this point!
SRugerEsq on January 22 at 10:08 a.m.
Having only recently moved to Spokane it is obvious from an outsiders perspecive that this is a yokel backwater town run by provincial hillbillies because that is what the population want expect and apparently like…..the police are like the roads…cheap and uncared for. Do they do police screenings and trainings like they do in other places? Are there specially trained officers to deal with the unstable? Other towns have reduced the costs of lawsuits (the family of the most recent victim were on TV within hours with dollar signs in their eyes, disgusting but they produced the guy who likes to beat on the ladies…) Cops need our support, they risk a lot, so SPOKANITES need to step up and demand it and pay for better training and recruitment, that way when someone gets shot we can be sure it is because they had it coming, Spokane is full of poverty and stupidity so that could be the root cause of the cop shootings, but we can’t say that until we know cops get the support and training they get in more civilized communities.
cdspokesreader on January 22 at 11:05 a.m.
@sRugerEsq: It’s not just what the citizens expect, it’s what they want to pay for. We are supposed to have the best trained police and fire depts but we aren’t supposed to pay them. All those awful govt workers are overpaid and there are too many of them according to many of our local citizens. I agree that there is a problem with too many administrative positions who are paid outrageous amounts, but many of the people doing the work around this county are doing the best they can with limited resources due to budget cuts and getting paid about the same as those in the private sector. Everybody wants the best trained staff and their rights protected - as long as it doesn’t overstep their personal freedoms - but no one wants to pay for it.
Shazamm on January 22 at 4:43 p.m.
Enough with trashing the police. They are doing a very difficult job in a culture that revels in violence, soaks up drugs like a sponge, and defies authority at every turn. None of this would happen if people weren’t high on drugs or refused to comply with reasonable police orders. Are there a few bad apples in the police force? Maybe, but personally I believe it is rare. You are nothing but a bunch of arm chair quarterbacks, the lot of you. If you think you can do a better job, then start filling out the job application. Otherwise, shut your stupid mouths.
SRugerEsq on January 22 at 6:04 p.m.
cdspokesreader- couldn’t agree more, I would like to pay more taxes for better services, for sure.
Shazzam- it is ok to be critical of the police department because it has been shown through research that certain training, which I have heard that Spokane has not paid for, can help reduce shootings. It is not anticop to say that, in fact it is PRO police, unless you think they enjoy shooting meth heads et al, I can assure you they do not. We also need more cops and a change in our culture here, Spokane may well always have higher than average shootings because of the nature of the population, white trash meth heads seem to be a big problem here……….
Patriot61 on January 22 at 8:50 p.m.
Lewis-are you depressed ? Do you have a Rick in your hand? If you do please seek out the nearest cop and run towards them. Do not follow thier commnands. Do not stop whatever you do. Please, pleeeeeeas….
Patriot61 on January 22 at 8:57 p.m.
Lewis- are you depressed? Do you have a rock in your hand? Then please take your rock, cloak yourself in depression and run, no sprint to the nearest cop you can find. Don’t forget to NOT follow their commands. Please, please prove your theory. I’ll be the first to say you were right if you do.