Man accused of headbutting Spokane police vehicle while being arrested

Spokane police say a man being arrested on a warrant Wednesday morning headbutted a police vehicle and said he was going to claim an officer hit him.

Police responded to the recovery of a stolen four-wheeler on the south side of the Spokane River near Spokane Community College at about 10:30 a.m.

While looking for suspects in the area where the vehicle was recovered, officers found an illegal encampment, according to a Spokane Police Department statement.

None of the individuals matched the descriptions of the ATV thieves, but the campers were advised they were camping illegally and were told to clean up the area.

Officers were conducting name checks when 29-year-old Saul Durkee got up to leave.

Durkee was detained in handcuffs on suspicion of illegal camping. When officers ran his name, they discovered he had a felony Department of Corrections warrant for second-degree assault.

Police took Durkee to a police car to be searched. While standing near the car, police say Durkee forcefully slammed his forehead against the driver’s side front panel of the car.

He didn’t appear to be injured. Durkee then told police he was going to say the officer hit him with the police car.

The officer then reminded Durkee that he was wearing a body camera and that his actions were being recorded.

Durkee was booked into jail on his DOC warrant and second-degree malicious mischief.