Men brawl over dogs

HAYDEN LAKE - A former state senator and a city councilman came to blows Thursday evening over a dispute involving their dogs.

Mike Jorgenson and Councilman Ed Graves, who are neighbors, offer conflicting stories on how the physical altercation began. However, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office was eventually dispatched to sort out the matter.

"Based on physical evidence and my observations and interviews, the dispute was physical mutual combat between both parties," the deputy wrote in his incident report.

Graves told The Press on Friday that the incident began weeks prior to the physical altercation.

"I've been dealing with his dogs barking all night and day," Graves said. "I asked him nicely to contain them so they weren't barking at 4 a.m."

According to Graves, Jorgenson called the mayor of Hayden Lake to report that it was Graves' dog that was causing the nuisance. Jorgenson confirms he approached the mayor and told him Graves' dogs are never leashed and constantly go into his yard. That's the one thing the two men agree on.

On Thursday, Graves said, he was attempting to capture video of Jorgenson's dogs barking, in order to have evidence to give to animal control, when the former state senator began throwing ice at him. One of the pieces of ice, Graves said, hit him in the eye.

"We routinely throw ice down at the dogs to get them to come back in the house," Jorgenson said. "I doubt that a piece of ice hit him."

At that point, both men said the confrontation escalated. Jorgenson alleges that Graves said he told him to come over to his home and "get a piece of him." Graves however asserts that Jorgenson grabbed his dog by the throat and threatened to kill the dog, prompting the councilman to punch him multiple times so he would release the dog.

The incident ended and the deputy said he observed noticeable lacerations on Jorgenson. Both men claim that they are only seeking assault charges because the other one did. The incident is under review by the county prosecutor.

"I can't believe how childish a city councilman is, and it's all over him not following city ordinances," Jorgenson said.

"He didn't win, so he's going to do whatever he can do to win," Graves said.