Former Spokane City Council President 1 of 9 Arrested For Assaults on ICE Agents

9 persons who became disorderly during an anti-ICE violent protest outside of the Homeland Security Office in Spokane June 11th have been arrested.

   Former Spokane City Council president among those charged

Benjamin Theodore Stuckart, the former council president, is facing charges of conspiracy to impede or injure officers.

He incited the incident by posting a check-in on Facebook, calling for the protest after  two men were arrested at the ICE Office when they were doing what's called a check-in.

He urged people to join in, and the incident swelled to several hundred, according to the Spokesman Review Newspaper. However, he and the other 8 faced charges because they refused to disperse, and several of them assaulted ICE agents and tried to block or disable vehicles. They also threatened the safety of workers in the building.

38-year-old Bobbi Lee Silva struck an Officer from behind as he was trying to clear  a path for vehicles to leave the ICE facility. 34-year-old Mikki Pike Hatfield is facing charges for throwing a "deployed incindiary device" (a tear-gas canister) at agents.

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Acting US Attorney Stephanie Van Marter released  a statement that read in part:

“We respect and honor everyone’s right to peacefully protest. However, the few who choose to cross the line from protest to violence and destruction will be held accountable."

The rest of the defendants include:

Justice Forral, age 33, has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers

Erin Nicole Lang, age 31 has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers

Collin James Muncey, age 34 has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers

Thalia Marie Ramirez, age 20, has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers

Bajun Dhunjisha Mavalwalla II, age 35 has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers

Jac Dalitso Archer, age 33, has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers

Authorities said Stuckert's call for protestors resulted in blocking of the building with the intent to interfere with ICE detainer transport, and workers inside the building were not able to leave until 9 PM that night with help from the Spokane Police Regional SWAT Team.

Several of the suspects let the air out of the tires of an ICE bus, making it unsafe to drive, and they also slashed the tires on other government vehicles using box cutters.