Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich will be sending a bill to Washington State for costs associated with the search for and capture of escaped Eastern State Hospital patient Phillip Arnold Paul.
Paul fled from his ESH escorts while on an outing to the Spokane Interstate Fair a week ago. Judged criminally insane following his murder of an elderly woman in south central Washington, Paul was one of 31 “forensics unit” patients taken to the fair on “Family Day.”
The sheriff’s office and Spokane Valley Police spent $20,834.88 in overtime, $8,652.87 in regular salary, and $7,873.41 in costs associated with the sheriff’s helicopter.
Investigators and air crews spent $133.88 on meals, for a grand total of $37,495.03.
While the sheriff acknowledges that search and arrest activities are already funded in his budget, he maintained today that these costs were expenditures that only arose based on questionable Eastern State Hospital policies and procedures.
In a budget year when he foresees laying off up to 26 commissioned personnel, every dollar spent is scrutinized. He said that the $37,000 could be the difference between one of his deputies working here next year or not.
rdr