Head of detox organization receives plea deal

A misdemeanor assault charge filed against the head of the former Community Detox Services will be dismissed if he stays out of trouble for the next two years, according to a plea deal finalized this week.

Jon D. Schlenske was charged with assault in October after a September incident where he was accused of grabbing a woman outside a Liberty Lake bar and pinning her against a car. Police said he was intoxicated at the time.

Body camera footage shows that Schlenske threatened the police officer driving him to the Spokane County Jail. Jail employees later told police that Schlenske became so unruly during the booking process that he was put in a restraint chair.

Community Detox Services recently changed its name to Spokane Treatment and Recovery Services. The nonprofit organization receives more than $1.5 million in local government contracts for detox services. Schlenske has worked at the organization for 13 years and has been executive director for nearly two years.