Man charged after seeming language dispute
Jul. 19—A case is pending in Lewis County 2nd District Court involving a 76-year-old Kamiah man who has been charged with a felony after allegedly striking another man who was displaying a "F— Biden" flag on his pickup truck.
Chad R. Erickson has been charged with aggravated assault using a deadly weapon during an altercation April 17 with David Bowers. Erickson's arraignment in Nezperce on Tuesday was postponed because Judge Adam H. Green was not available. A clerk at the Lewis County district court office said the arraignment has not yet been rescheduled.
According to court records, the incident occurred in the Cloninger's grocery store parking lot in Kamiah on April 17 when Erickson allegedly asked Bowers to remove the flag from his truck.
Erickson told Lewis County Deputy Morgan Saul that Bowers was driving through town with the flag. "I was raised better than that," Erickson said to the deputy. "So was he ... and we have laws against language like that in public."
When Saul reminded Erickson that Bowers had First Amendment protection of free speech, Erickson reportedly replied that the "F" word was not protected speech.
"So I asked him to take his flag down and he said no," Erickson reportedly said, according to court documents. "We got belligerent and I turned to leave. He pushed me from behind. ... So I got to the truck and I pulled my wrench out to defend myself."
Saul reported in an affidavit that eyewitness and video accounts of the altercation contradict some of Erickson's description of events.
Erickson is represented by Wesley W. Hoyt. Lewis County Prosecutor Zachary Pall is representing the state.
Hedberg may be contacted at khedberg@lmtribune.com.
