Sheriff
Goes after Vet - Arpaio trying to smear reservist, lawyer says
Arpaio trying to
smear reservist, lawyer says
By Gary Grado, East Valley Tribune
August 4, 2005
Sheriff Joe Arpaio is conducting a smear campaign against a Mesa Army
reservist who held illegal immigrants at gunpoint, the reservist’s
attorney said Wednesday.
Maricopa County sheriff’s officials say the military records they
released this week prove Patrick Haab is not an elite soldier who
served in Iraq as he represented himself to the media, and they throw
into question his version of events when he detained seven illegal
immigrants April 10 at a rest stop near Gila Bend.
"They stand for themselves," said Lt. Paul Chagolla, sheriff’s
spokesman.
The sheriff’s office obtained the records as part of its investigation
into the incident and produced them to the Tribune upon request. Doug
Loefgren, Haab’s attorney, said he questions the authenticity,
relevancy and reliability of the records.
Haab was jailed for three days on suspicion of aggravated assault, but
County Attorney Andrew Thomas refused to charge him after determining
he had made a legal citizen’s arrest.
Haab has put the county on notice that he intends to sue for wrongful
arrest if he doesn’t get a $1 million settlement.
An e-mail between military officers discussing Haab’s history states he
made it only as far as Kuwait and returned to the states for
psychological evaluation.
In Kuwait, his ammunition and weapons were confiscated and he was
guarded because he had made statements about hurting himself.
At one point, soldiers handcuffed him after taking a knife away from
him.
One officer stated in an affidavit that on Feb. 5, 2004, he removed
Haab from an Arabic culture class because he was withdrawn and not
participating.
Haab told the officer his religion taught that all Muslims were killers
and that he was keeping his distance from a Muslim soldier in his unit
"because he just wants to kill all of the camel jockeys."
Loefgren said the records released by the sheriff’s office make good
headlines but won’t hold up under examination in court.
When Haab called 911 dispatchers April 10, he said he was "Special
Forces Army," according to transcripts of the call, and he said in a
press conference three days later that he had just returned from Iraq.
