Thurston County Sheriff: Stay-at-home enforcement should be handled by complaint

Leadership and law enforcement regarding the stay-at-home order has been a topic of interest this week statewide. Today, the Walla Walla County Sheriff joined several sheriffs around the state who are pushing back against the governor’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy initiative. State Representative Robert Sutherland also spoke out on Sunday at the protest in Olympia, calling for a rebellion.

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Sutherland’s statements got the attention of Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza, who is also the president of the Washington State Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. His association issued a letter in response.

“The letter just wanted to let Representative Sutherland know that we heard he had made some statements at a rally at the Capitol, and that we want to know what did you mean by bringing ‘goons with guns’ and that there will be a revolution?” Snaza explained on KIRO Radio’s Gee and Ursula Show.

“We do go in front of representatives every year for legislative requests and ideas,” Snaza added. “And we want to make sure what level we’re on with him.”

Representative Sutherland calls for a rebellion

Sutherland was on the Gee and Ursula Show earlier this week where he was asked about his statements from Sunday.

“We’re starting a rebellion in Washington, we’re not listening to this governor, we’re taking our state back,” Sutherland said at Sunday’s protest. “When we go fishing, they’re going to send their guys with guns, and they’re going to write us tickets. Governor, you send men with guns after us when we go fishing, we’ll see what a revolution looks like.”

“You send your goons with guns, we will defend ourselves,” he added.

In his response on KIRO Radio, Sutherland stood by his quotes from Sunday.

“It’s accurate in the sense those words were spoken, but it’s half the story,” Sutherland said. “I clarified it as I went on speaking that it’s a revolution of love.”

Snaza said he and the association have not received a response from Sutherland.

“I really don’t know where the the love came from or how he’s speaking of love,” Snaza said. “Not everybody gets to take their children fishing, nor do they live close by the lake.”

Now is not the right time to take your kids fishing, Snaza said.

“On the law enforcement aspect, the reason why is because we’re not in the lakes patrolling to ensure the safety of people who are in boats,” he said. “And bad things do happen in lakes and boats.”

Local sheriffs not enforcing the stay-at-home order

Snaza also shared his perspective on the statements made by some sheriffs across the state of Washington who have said they will not enforce the stay-at-home orders.

“Obviously, the sheriffs are hearing more from the people and what the laws are and … the issue that I see is that the governor hasn’t included law enforcement in the decisions,” Snaza said.

A lot of the sheriffs and police chiefs want to know what Gov. Inslee is basing his laws on. In terms of what to enforce, however, it’s mostly up to the sheriffs.

“Each law enforcement officer in the state has a right to exercise discretion,” he said. “I would just hate to tell somebody that I’m not enforcing something before I hear out what the complaint actually is so that I can talk to the citizen that’s making the complaint, and then deal with the issue that the complaint is about.”

The hardest part about being a sheriff, Snaza said, is representing the entire county and community.

“Whichever way you you side with, we have to make the decisions that are based on law,” he said.

Snaza thinks sheriffs need to listen to the complaints and deal with it complaint by complaint, rather than making a overarching statement that nothing will be enforced.

“I’m not the sheriff of those communities, and the sheriff is the one who has to answer to the public. And when you say about a threat to harm or hurt somebody, to me, that’s very serious,” Snaza said. “Whether it’s a threat to another citizen, to the governor, to the sheriff, to a police chief, to a representative. Those are serious complaints that we need to deal with, and by making a blanket statement that … we’re not going to enforce that kind of stuff is not fair to the rest of the citizens.”

Listen to the Gee and Ursula Show weekday mornings from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.