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Blues Traveler singer arrested near Spokane County line

Hidden compartments inside the vehicle contained four rifles, nine handguns and a switchblade. Officers also found a Taser and night vision goggles. John Popper told officers he collected weapons. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Nicholas K. Geranios Associated Press
Hidden compartments inside the vehicle contained four rifles, nine handguns and a switchblade. Officers also found a Taser and night vision goggles. John Popper told officers he collected weapons. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

Blues Traveler singer and harmonica player John Popper was arrested near Ritzville after the vehicle he was riding in was clocked going 111 mph, the Washington State Patrol said Wednesday.

Popper, 39, was arrested Tuesday afternoon on Interstate 90 near the Spokane/Lincoln county line, the Washington State Patrol said.

Inside the black Mercedes SUV, officers found a cache of weapons and a small amount of marijuana, the patrol said.

Popper, who lives in Snohomish, Wash., is the owner of the vehicle, which was being driven by Brian Gourgeois, 34, of Austin, Texas, said Trooper Jeff Sevigney.

Sevigney confirmed that Popper was a member of the popular band and that the pair was traveling from Texas to Washington.

While the two men were administratively booked into the Adams County Jail in Ritzville, they were released on their own recognizance, Sevigney said. That’s because Popper lives in the state and the crimes involved are misdemeanors, Sevigney said.

Gourgeois was arrested for reckless driving and, after troopers reportedly smelled marijuana, Popper was arrested on drug possession charges, the WSP said.

Authorities plan to charge them with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Gourgeois will also face a charge of reckless driving, the WSP said.

A police dog searched the vehicle, finding numerous hidden compartments. Inside those compartments were four rifles, nine handguns and a switchblade knife. They also found a Taser and night vision goggles. Popper told officers he collected weapons, the WSP said.

The vehicle also had flashing emergency headlights, a siren and a public address system, the WSP said.

“Popper indicated to troopers that he had installed these items in his vehicle because (in the event of a natural disaster) he didn’t want to be left behind,” the WSP said.

Officers also recovered a small amount of marijuana and a marijuana pipe. The vehicle was seized.

Popper did not immediately return an e-mail seeking comment Wednesday night.

Popper achieved fame as a harmonica player and frontman for Blues Traveler. The band won a Grammy in 1996 for the song “Run-around,” which Popper composed.