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September 20, 2011 in City
Obstruction trial for ex-police detective opens
The obstruction of justice trial began Monday against embattled former Spokane police detective Jeff Harvey.
Harvey was fired this year after being charged with a gross misdemeanor following a confrontation with a state Department of Fish and Wildlife police officer who responded on Jan. 22 to a report of boys shooting after hunting hours on private land north of Spokane. Harvey, who was off-duty at the time, is accused of hindering the investigation, which involved his sons.
Defense attorney Rob Cossey asked wildlife officer Dave Spurbeck a series of pointed questions about why he did not put in his report that the tipster reporting the suspected hunting violation was in fact a personal friend.
“I’m concerned,” Cossey continued. “You are a law enforcement officer. You have an obligation to be fair and impartial. And you don’t think that would be important?”
“What I told them was accurate,” Spurbeck replied.
The jury trial before Whitman County District Judge Douglas Robinson, who was called in to preside because of potential conflicts involving Spokane County judges, is expected to conclude today.
Harvey, 46, was vice president of the Spokane Police Guild when police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick placed him on paid leave in February after she learned about the confrontation.
Spurbeck testified that he got a call that boys were shooting after hours near Deadman Creek north of Spokane and he went to investigate. He had the reporting caller, who is also a hunting buddy, get the license plate of the truck that picked up the boys; it was registered to Harvey.
Spurbeck didn’t know Harvey when he made the traffic stop a few miles from where the after-hours shooting occurred. Spurbeck said Harvey refused to allow him to approach his silver Dodge pickup to question the boys and at one point he had to put Harvey in a “goose neck” hold to keep him away from his truck, which contained several firearms.
“I told him he needed to stop obstructing or I would take him to jail,” Spurbeck said. “He brought out his wallet and it said Spokane police detective. I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ I told him I couldn’t believe after all that had happened that he was a police officer.”
Spurbeck said he asked Harvey why he didn’t say something sooner, and he “said the way things are in the department right now, he would get into trouble for that.”
And he did. Kirkpatrick fired Harvey in July in part for the allegations from Spurbeck and from what she also described in a letter as a “troubled work history.”
The city’s letter documented other discipline and negative evaluations during Harvey’s years in the department. He was suspended for 20 days in 1987 after breaking a man’s arm; given an oral reprimand in 1989 after eight detention employees reported that Harvey and two fellow officers used excessive force against a 17-year-old boy; and suspended for 40 hours in 1991 for calling in sick so he could go hunting.
Within days after he was fired, Harvey and his civil attorney, Bob Dunn, filed a $10 million claim against the city for its handling of his case.
1992 murder trial begins against sex offender 
gonefishin1 on September 20 at 6:52 a.m.
Obstruction!!!!! Harvey should be thrown in jail like any other dirtbag. He, along with others, have really put a black eye on the spokane police department.
lewis8457 on September 20 at 7:09 a.m.
big bad cop go whining to a lawyer, they wont let me hurt people. ba, ba, ba!
what a lesson for us all this guy is vice president of the guild that runs this town and allows its employees to break every rule in the book. and when they cant they sue like a bunch of spoiled children.
when the wild life officer had to put him a goose neck he should have been arrested. Harvey doesn’t know how lucky he is if it was actual sheriff who responded Harvey would be dead right now. And his family will find out there is NO justice for the fallen from a cops hand.
with the fixed courts in this town he will win some money an most likely become our new chief of police.
Liberty_Bell on September 20 at 7:25 a.m.
Well you know the detective’s Chief;
Chief Defective
A local, state and ferel requirement, hire your American’s with disabilities, where they say equal opportunity, requires it!
http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2008/10/border-patrol-officer-joseph-giuliano.html
D Statler on September 20 at 7:37 a.m.
Spokane’s detectives are some of the dirtiest in the country. They are promoted to detective when the chiefs want them off the streets for misconduct. Getting promoted for good hard work like the rest of us isn’t the case here. Going out and intentionally getting into trouble to get promoted looks about right. Some of the investigations conducted with little or no real evidence.Manipulating crime scenes. Coercing wittnesses.Covering up for each other. These guys ALL need to be dismissed or sent back to school.
D Statler on September 20 at 7:38 a.m.
Where is the County prosecutors while all this misbehavior is taking place?
Liberty_Bell on September 20 at 7:51 a.m.
Well, you know undooly,
It’s a duty for a Criminal Syndicate, to have a Criminal for local, state, and ferel Prosecutor too.
A National Issue, with Holder too, elect the handicapped and Americans with disabilities and you too can pay for their jail time- Elect the gang banger, and pretty soon the nation’s full of them.
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/09/20/2192238/blaine-cbp-officer-no-longer-with.html
Scoutster on September 20 at 8:06 a.m.
Has he since been promoted the president of the Police Guild?
My vote for Father of the Year, too…he really taught those boys a valuable lesson, eh?
DickAdams on September 20 at 8:39 a.m.
Where does Roco Treppiedi fit in? just sayin
brianrbreen on September 20 at 9:37 a.m.
@DickAdams
I think Rocco is off the hook on this one. A subtlety most haven’t noticed is that City Attorney Erin Jacobson has taken over the cop stuff for some reason.
Got some people at the SPD and City Hall with their fingers crossed today, hoping for a conviction. An acquittal ain’t going to be pretty.
lewis8457 on September 20 at 9:44 a.m.
My money in this city is acquittal and reinstatement on the force.
Reason never comes into play in this city when dealing with bad cops.
It seems they have far more rights then the rest of us.