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January 26, 2011 in News, City
Editors stand by S-R bomb story
Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich confirmed Wednesday for the second time in two days that chemicals were mixed with shrapnel in a bomb that was placed along the Unity March route in downtown Spokane on Jan. 17.
The sheriff has criticized a front-page story published Wednesday in The Spokesman-Review but stopped short of seeking a correction.
Knezovich told newspaper editors Wednesday that he did not confirm that the chemical — being analyzed by the FBI — may be a compound commonly found in rat poison.
On Tuesday night, reporter Thomas Clouse asked Knezovich if rat poison was the chemical used in the bomb. The sheriff replied: “There was some discussion early on, on that, but I’m not sure that that actually played out.”
In the meeting with editors including Editor Gary Graham, Knezovich said he also told the reporter Tuesday night: “This sheriff does not know what’s inside that. This sheriff told your reporter just that: ‘Tom, be very careful about this story. If you want to run it, you need to run it with a big if.’
“I don’t know how many times I stressed that: `If.’ If that were the case. I said we don’t know what kind of chemical is in there. We don’t know. We don’t know if it’s dangerous. We don’t know what it is.”
The story Wednesday quoted Knezovich as saying, “I know the bomb had some kind of chemical material inside, but we are still trying to figure out what kind. All we know there is a substance.”
It continued, “Knezovich said early talks indicated the chemical could have been a compound used in common rat poison.”
Graham said the newspaper stands behind its story.
“Our story made it abundantly clear that tests are being conducted to determine the type of chemical used,” Graham said.
“The story we published Wednesday accurately quoted the sheriff as saying the bomb had some kind of chemical material inside. In our two discussions with the sheriff on Wednesday, he agreed that we quoted him accurately on that point.
“The real issue is the facts themselves and we remain confident that we had the story right. One of our reporter’s confidential law enforcement sources said Wednesday that indeed the story was correct.”
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west on January 26 at 5:33 p.m.
Ozzie, let the FBI do the detail analysis and wait till they call you….
Alfredo on January 26 at 5:36 p.m.
It is a bit misleading. Early conversations could have included several chemicals but the reporter seemed fixated on rat poison, asking the sheriff about one chemical, then stating it as though it was most likely the chemical used.
misjustice on January 26 at 5:36 p.m.
Ozzie, do YOUR job and let the FBI do theirs.
Don’t you have some officers to manage?
NE2Spokane on January 26 at 5:38 p.m.
Why is Ozzie even commenting???? This was a city case that was fairly quickly taken over by the FBI.
valleyman on January 26 at 5:52 p.m.
The Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of the entire county and as this incident occurred inside the county, he has every right to comment especially if he was sought out by local media outlets for such comment.
As for the quote out of context, it is obvious that the quote attributed to the Sheriff was not used correctly and was instead used to support the paper’s premise that the substance was rat poison. The Spokesman should know that quotes, especially when used out of context, can be made to say whatever they desire. This is simple journalism, and of course sensationalizing something sells papers… or maybe for the Spokesman, online subscriptions…
In this case, the quote cited by the paper as being from the Sheriff was used to support the notion that the Sheriff believed the material could have been rat poison, when what the Sheriff ACTUALLY said was that the possibility it could have been rat poison was discussed. Not the same thing at all….
Come on folks…
Pat O'Leary on January 26 at 6:45 p.m.
A tempest in a teapot. Who cares?
hawken on January 26 at 6:47 p.m.
The Spokesman Review got it right. Nobody should question that.
PhiltheBibliophil on January 26 at 6:51 p.m.
It’s about time the Coiwles took on the Sheriff’s Department in this town!
eagleproducer on January 26 at 6:59 p.m.
Watching Ozzie backpedal on KXLY was revealing.
http://www.kxly.com/news/26629656/detail.html
The video is embedded.
Timtora on January 26 at 7:03 p.m.
The SR has a history of printing lies, misquotes and inaccurate information. Whatever it takes to sell papers for a dying “news” agency, they will do. The sad part is their lies and inaccurate information inflame the community, to our detriment. WE, the community, are the ones who suffer. My advice to the sheriff and all other agencies is to record any further statements. Better yet, only give statements via e-mail so there is a written record. Lets see how they spin a written statement. Sheriff, don’t play into their games, if their not going to be accurate and objective, give them simple, written statements that go out to all media and nothing else.
hawken on January 26 at 7:06 p.m.
spoketucky…. I read your link… others should do so as well. Which I assume most have not done. Well, not really.
“Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich Wednesday denied reports he said a bomb found along the Unity March route on Martin Luther King Jr. Day was laced with a potentially dangerous chemical.”
I agree with you,,,, NOT
hawken on January 26 at 7:07 p.m.
Timtora: Be careful.
zelda on January 26 at 7:10 p.m.
Confusing. Did the sheriff say something and then think better of it once he saw it in print? He wants to take it all back? Maybe he needs to take lessons from Anne Kirkpatrick who’s a master at talking for a long time and saying nothing.
Since there was some kind of explosive in the backpack, the bomb did, by definition, have some kind of chemical in it. But an additional chemical? That’s particularly bad.
The FBI and ATF are making a big deal out of this because it IS a big deal. Someone already said that there are aspects of this incident that are particularly worrisome so the S-R is doing its job in trying to get some info about what makes this weapon unusual. I expect there’s going to be tension between the media looking out for the public’s right to know and the investigators wanting to limit knowledge about key evidence.
Scoutster on January 26 at 7:15 p.m.
Memo
TO: Sheriff Knezovich
FROM: FBI
RE: Media Relations, MLK Day Bomb Investigation
STFU.
hawken on January 26 at 7:17 p.m.
Scoutster…. did you mean to say SNAFU… Just a point of clarity.
hawken on January 26 at 7:23 p.m.
Scoutster
Please forgive my ignorance…. But, will you kindly translate…STFU?
I’m just trying to honor “civil” dialogue, and I do not understand that term. Please help me here. Again, please translate.
Scoutster on January 26 at 7:23 p.m.
Shut the Fridge Up.
hawken on January 26 at 7:27 p.m.
Scoutster…. forgive me for being absurd and asking for clarity!
Scoutster on January 26 at 7:30 p.m.
No prob, hawken.
I’ll let you own whatever absurdity was contained in your request, but I am happy to lend clarity.
hawken on January 26 at 7:37 p.m.
Thank you Scoutster… I appreciate the “civil” instruction your offer to me. Who can argue with that? Most humbly, Hawken.
Scoutster on January 26 at 7:39 p.m.
hawken…
is your sarcasm directed at me? Did I do something?
hawken on January 26 at 7:41 p.m.
Scoutster…. No! Of course not! Your posts are totally civil and clear! How could anyone think differently? My poor communications on this string. Please forgive me.
Scoutster on January 26 at 7:44 p.m.
Forgive you for what?
maria on January 26 at 7:44 p.m.
Ms.J. You on for lunch on the 3rd? Hoping you can make it. Email drywitt for details.
recallstevetucker on January 26 at 7:57 p.m.
Is Ozzie in “bed” with Tucker? Does any KNOW?
This does not refer to this case, just wondering….
misjustice on January 26 at 8:14 p.m.
Maria, I had a message from Dry but no mention of the 3rd. What’s up? Contact me at the e-mail below.
; )
kissthesky18@hotmail.com
zelda on January 26 at 9:42 p.m.
KXLY is reporting that the sheriff’s dept. has cordoned off an area in the vicinity of Sprague and Theirman in Spokane Valley due to a report of a suspicious device.
http://www.kxly.com/news/26631998/detail.html
misjustice on January 26 at 10:00 p.m.
Sprague and Theirman? There’s not much there, a car dealership, a Display House, and Super Supplements/mini mall complex.
Hopefully, it’s nothing. The report did say a “device” not a backpack or a coffe mug, hmmm. Film at eleven, I guess.
greenlibertarian on January 26 at 10:49 p.m.
Media urination contest, nothing to see here, move on.
SpokyDaBear on January 27 at 12:03 a.m.
If he can boldly lie to the press, who else is he lying to?