Sheriff Knezovich slams Rep. Shea over COVID comments: ‘He’s brought nothing to this table’

Erin Robinson by Erin Robinson

SPOKANE, Wash. — Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich slammed Representative Matt Shea over his calls to protest the state government and its COVID-19 response.

Shea posted on Facebook, asking his supporters to demand the economy reopen Friday. He has also speculated that the coronavirus was created in a lab in Wuhan, though there is no evidence to back his claim.

Governor Jay Inslee announced earlier this month that the stay home order will stay in place through May 4, with the potential of it being extended once again. Inslee has repeatedly said he will point to the science and expertise of health care professionals when deciding when to reopen the local economy.

On Facebook, Shea said there will be a rally on Sunday in Olympia and May Day protests in each county demanding the economy’s reopening.

During the Spokane COVID Response Team’s daily briefing on Friday, Knezovich addressed the post and quickly followed up by saying Shea has done nothing to contribute to the team’s efforts.

“He’s brought nothing to this table. No solution, no thought process, nothing. But now he wants to spin you up and make it sound like no one cares about you?” Knezovich said.

The Spokane COVID Response Team is made of up local public officials, including mayors and state representatives from across the region. Knezovich said the team meets daily and discusses what they can do to help their constituents.

He said people who follow Shea and his ideology are trying to “spin you up and make it sound like no one cares.”

Knezovich said he reiterates the following message to his colleagues frequently:

‘”Will you please keep in mind, there are families out there, there are small business out there, that their livelihoods, and the way the feed their families, keep the roof [over] their heads, and everything else is impacted by every decision we make. Every decision we make affects them.”

Knezovich then called on leaders in Olympia to be more transparent and open about their COVID-19 response plans.

“Governor Inslee, I’m asking you to please give us the plan. There has to be a way out of this,” Knezovich said. “We need a way out.”

Kneozvich also urged the public to continue doing their job to help everyone get through the pandemic.

“I can tell you, there’s a lot of people doing a lot of hard work,” Knezovich said. “Every decision we make has a cost and we get that. This is not lost on us.”

RELATED: Tracking COVID-19: A breakdown of the latest numbers in Washington and Idaho

READ: ‘We will not accept unnecessary deaths’: Gov. Inslee extends stay home order through May 4

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