Clallam County Superior Court Judge Brent Basden imposed a one-year jail term on Matthew T. Griffis, 22, on October 13 for committing assault against a sheriff’s sergeant during an August arrest in the Sequim area.
Griffis entered a guilty plea to third-degree assault on a law enforcement officer. His prior record featured convictions for third-degree assault, harassment involving threats to kill, firearm theft, and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, as reflected in the court’s judgment.
The sentencing aligned with a joint recommendation submitted by both the prosecutor’s office and Griffis’s defense team. In addition to incarceration, Judge Basden mandated 12 months of community custody, to be administered by the Department of Corrections.
He will receive credit for time already spent in custody on this matter, with the final tally determined by the county jail.
The assault charge originated from an incident on August 15 in the Village Lane neighborhood. Deputies responded to a residence around 10 a.m. after a call reported Griffis and another individual on the property; both were known to have active felony warrants.
Sergeant Brandon Stoppani, who led the response, noted that Griffis fled upon officers’ arrival. Stoppani追捕 him across multiple homes until intercepting him on a rear deck. The pursuit spanned just under two minutes, ending with Griffis’s detention.
During the stop, Stoppani lowered the patrol vehicle’s window to communicate with Griffis, who then spat directly at him. The sergeant described the saliva landing on his left cheek and jawline. Later visual inspection of his uniform confirmed the presence of saliva, most notably on the left collar.
A follow-up report from Deputy Paris Estes detailed Griffis’s conduct following the spitting. Estes observed Griffis kicking the partition separating the front and back seats of the cruiser and repeatedly striking his head against a rear window. Estes also recounted Griffis voicing a death threat after the incident.
Upon arrival at the facility, Griffis reportedly discussed his history with firearms, including prior instances of drawing weapons on law enforcement personnel. His formal conviction in the case centered on the assault against Sergeant Stoppani.