PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A grand jury on Tuesday filed an indictment against the man who was arrested outside the Portland Police Bureau’s East Precinct with an “arsenal” of weapons.On Wednesday he was arraigned.
When Eric Eugene Crowl was booked into jail, police charged him with one count each of unlawful use of a weapon, attempted assault of a public safety officer and unlawful possession of a firearm.
The grand jury, however, opted not to charge Crowl with attempted assault of a public safety officer. Senior deputy district attorney Glen Banfield said he could not comment on the case or the grand jury’s voting decision, but said the case remains an open investigation.
Crowl entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment. His court-appointed attorney, Brian Schmonsees, said in a statement this case “is the most shocking abuse of police and prosecutorial power. I am ashamed of my colleagues for filing such trumped-up case.” He added, “Mr.Crowl’s case is the saddest I have been a part of in 11 years.”
When police arrested Crowl on August 7, they found what they described as an “arsenal” of weapons inside his vehicle.
On August 8, Multnomah County Circuit Judge Leslie M. Roberts ordered Crowl’s bail be increased to $1 million. He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
What court records show
Records show that Crowl testified before the grand jury. Because grand jury proceedings are secret, it is not specifically known what Crowl told the grand jury. Attempts to reach his criminal defense attorney for comment have been unsuccessful.
Court documents filed earlier this month revealed that during the month of April, police at the bureau’s East Precinct noticed “a suspicious vehicle parked in the parking lot” across the police station.
The vehicle came back belonging to Crowl.
Officers believed that Crowl was recording officers as they were coming and going from the police station, records show.
Crowl told investigators he did not mean to harm anyone or to cause any problems to “law enforcement persons who are doing their job accordingly,” according to court documents.
He also admitted he has had negative encounters with PPB and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Police became suspicious of Crowl’s behavior due to the recent incidents across the United States in which police officers were ambushed and killed.
