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The man who Portland police say watched them for months before they found him with an "arsenal" of weapons outside a precinct office never intended to harm anyone, his lawyer said Tuesday.

(Rebeca Bagdocimo)

The man who Portland police say watched them for months before they found him with an "arsenal" of weapons outside a precinct office never intended to harm anyone, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Eric Eugene Crowl, 39, appeared via a video call for his arraignment in the Justice Center courthouse and pleaded not guilty to attempt to commit a felony, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon.

Crowl was booked into Multnomah County Jail on Monday after police found a cache of guns and ammunition in his SUV on Sunday, Deputy District Attorney Glen Banfield said in an affidavit.

Since in April, officers had stopped him several times after they saw him parked outside the precinct filming them.

Crowl is a loving father and husband with no criminal history, said defense attorney Thalia Sady. He had the guns in his car because he was returning from a trip in Montana where he went shooting with his wife, Sady said.

"It is very safe to say he has no intent to harm anyone and has never had any attempt to harm anyone, least of all any police officers in our community," Sady said.

But Deputy District Attorney Stacy Heyworth said Crowl's behavior scared police.

"I can't imagine why anyone in the Portland area would have that sort of ammunition," she said.

Police first noticed Crowl parked outside the precinct on Southeast 106th Avenue in April. When officers tried to contact him, Crowl drove away, the affidavit said. Officers caught up with him a few blocks away and noticed a police scanner inside his Chevy Tahoe. Officers also noted in their reports that Crowl was a self-proclaimed "constitutionalist."

Police confronted Crowl again on April 22 after they saw him parked outside the precinct filming police. An officer broadcast over the police radio that he was going to contact Crowl, but as soon as he put the call over the radio, Crowl drove away, the affidavit said.

The arsenal of weapons and ammunition police found in Crowl's SUV.

Two officers stopped Crowl for a traffic violation a few blocks away and asked him why he had been following police. Crowl began filming the officers on his phone and said he had "sent a letter to the precinct ... to inform them that (he) is going to be filming, following and watching officers at the precinct," the affidavit said.

Police spoke to Crowl again on June 21, when officers went to his home to ask him why he was monitoring them. Crowl told them that he was filming officers to "hold law enforcement accountable," the affidavit said.

He said he'd had negative encounters with Portland police and the Washington County's Sheriff's Office in the past and "wanted to make sure someone like himself can weed out those 'bad apples,'" Banfield wrote. He told the officer he didn't mean to harm anyone or cause any problems to police who were doing their jobs accordingly, the affidavit said.

Crowl was at the precinct again on Sunday afternoon. Concerned because of recent police shootings in Dallas and Baton Rouge, police tried to contact Crowl and ask him what he was doing, the affidavit said. As soon as the order was broadcast over the police radio, though, Crowl drove away.

He was stopped a few blocks away for failing to signal, and officers didn't see any weapons in his car, the affidavit said.

Two officers monitored Crowl's house that night and saw him get in his SUV and drive back to the precinct around 9:30 p.m.

Police were concerned about Crowl's intentions because he kept driving away whenever they tried to contact him, according to a police report written by Sgt. Steven Wilbon.

"Based on my experience and assessment, if Crowl was there without malicious intentions, why would he flee upon being discovered by police," Wilbon wrote. "It is common that individuals will often record police and monitor police, but the difference is, those individuals don't flee."

Wilbon was also concerned because Crowl was parked outside during police shift changes, when police are more vulnerable because many officers are coming and going, he wrote in his report.

"I had an extreme safety concern and believed that Crowl up until this point has shown an effort to monitor police, has conducted ample surveillance, and a plan (showing up at shift change), all in my estimate to be precursors for an attack against police," Wilbon wrote.

Police approached Crowl and directed him to put his hands up, the affidavit said. Police said he reached around to the center console of his car and repeatedly raised his hands before dropping them back down, the affidavit said.

Officers patted Crowl down and searched his SUV. Inside, they found a 5.56 rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun, two 9 mm handguns, a loaded 100-round 5.56 magazine drum, hundreds of 5.56 and 9mm rounds of ammunition, 5.56 tracer rounds, handheld radios, a police scanner, camouflage clothing and camping gear including sleeping bag, food, camping stove, and lantern. One of the pistols was in the center console, where police said they saw Crowl reaching, the affidavit said.

Crowl violated city laws by carrying a loaded firearm in a public place and because he did not have a concealed carry license, police said.

Crowl's bail is set at $1 million.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 17 at 9:30 a.m.

-- Samantha Matsumoto

503-294-4001