Jake and Spike: Does the Bruce Harrell arrest 29 years ago really matter?

Various news outlets reported Thursday that Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell was arrested 29 years ago in Iowa and charged with three misdemeanors, including resisting arrest, that were later dropped. The story had “The Jake and Spike Show” wondering: is this really a meaningful news story? Does what happened nearly 30 years ago matter to voters?

Harrell brandished an unloaded handgun as a group of people approached him in a parking lot, shortly after he was named as a nominee to serve on the Omaha Housing Authority. He said he was the subject of threats for the controversial appointment and was carrying a firearm for protection. He thought the group approaching him could have been connected to the threats he received. He was arrested afterward.

“Because of this situation, and other instances from my youth of being unfairly targeted by bias, this is one reason I have been a strong advocate for police accountability,” Harrell told the Seattle Times. He said this was a case of racial profiling.

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Bad judgment? Sure. But does it matter 29 years later?

“The Jake and Spike Show” cohost Spike O’Neil said that while it might have showed bad judgment on Harrell’s part, he understands why it happened.

“I think it’s a very understandable and believable story that a guy of color, a black man in the Midwest, had fear for his safety after being appointed to a board that was probably controversial in regards to affordable housing,” Spike said. “I believe every bit of his story, I think it shows poor judgment to wave an unloaded gun.”

But ultimately, Spike said, “I don’t think it matters. It doesn’t matter to me. It will matter to others, people who, I think, are looking for reason to be unhappy or to oppose the mayor for his points of view, his political stances.”

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But why did Harrell resist arrest?

Co-host Jake Skorheim, meanwhile, said he understands why Harrell would feel the need to defend himself. However, he said he’s curious to learn more about how and why Harrell resisted arrest.

“He’s a 36-year-old man, and he’s there in a government position. If a police officer… comes up and arrests me, I’m probably not going to resist that arrest. I guarantee you I’m not going to resist that arrest. So if he was, if that was part of his charge, resisting arrest, I’d like to know more,” Skorheim noted.

Spike argued that Harrell may have been feeling “persecuted” because of the color of his skin, which could explain him resisting arrest. And in the context of being “shaken up because [Harrell] thought people were coming to harm” him, that could have put him more on edge.

Listen to the full conversation below:

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