CANBY, Ore. — Newly released police body camera footage shows the the Aug. 17 arrest of Oregon State Rep. James Hieb, R-Canby, at the Clackamas County Fair. KGW obtained the footage through a public records request.
Hieb was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct and interfering with a peace officer. He later told KGW that the incident happened after a woman asked him to put out a cigarette, but he didn't offer a clear explanation for why things escalated.
Police turned over three videos of the incident, each taken from a different officer's body worn camera. Hieb's face is blurred in the video, along with the officers, as required by state public records law.
In the videos, Hieb slurs his words and becomes verbally combative with deputies after acknowledging he is a political official. Heib wore a white campaign polo shirt.
"If you are running for political office, this is probably not the look you want," said one deputy. "We've had several calls from employees telling us that you refused to put out a cigarette and refused to leave."
Smoking is prohibited at the fairgrounds. Hieb claimed he was never asked to leave.
When deputies asked to see Hieb's identification, he refused. Deputies then put Hieb into handcuffs. Hieb told police he had a firearm on his hip, which was removed by deputies without incident.
Watch the full video:
During further questioning, Hieb downplayed his interaction with fairgrounds staff. "Some lady just walked up and was like, F--- you and your cigarette. Long story, short," said Hieb. "Do you know how many people work for the fair? Or fairgrounds? Anybody can say I work for the fair."
Deputies tried repeatedly to calm Hieb down and encourage him to cooperate, suggesting they would issue him an exclusion notice from the fairgrounds and then drive him home.
"Would you like to go home tonight," a deputy asked. "No," responded Hieb. "I love this kind of s---"
Instead, Hieb continued to debate deputies and challenged them to arrest him.
At one point, Hieb fell to the ground while in handcuffs and swore at officers.
"There we go mother f---er. Hurt me," Hieb said to deputies. "What are you going to do?"
A deputy responded, "Because of your behavior we're taking you to the Clackamas County jail."
OTHER STORIES: Clackamas County clerk who oversaw May primary ballot counting fiasco makes her pitch for reelection to a sixth term
At one point during the conversation, a deputy asked Hieb if he was at the fair with anyone that night, and Hieb responded "a lady named Tootie Smith" — apparently referring to Clackamas County Chair Tootie Smith — but he did not elaborate.
Smith does not appear anywhere in the video, and in a statement released shortly after the footage was made public, she said she was "appalled" by Hieb's behavior and that his comment about being at the fair with her was "an outright lie."
"I was not at the fair on the day of Hieb’s arrest and I do not personally know Hieb... Hieb’s belligerent behavior is unacceptable and an embarrassment," she said.
Smith said her only past interaction with Hieb was on the day the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners appointed him.
Hieb was appointed in February to represent Oregon House District 39 by Clackamas and Marion County commissioners, replacing House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, who stepped down to run for governor.
He has a history of other run-ins with police including citations in 2004 for speeding, fleeting a police officer and driving under the influence, 2008 for failure to register a vehicle and carry insurance, 2012 for criminal trespass and disorderly conduct and 2019 for failure to use safety belts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.