photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

Justin Spiehs is arrested during the Douglas County Commission meeting on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.

A frequent public commenter was arrested at Wednesday’s Douglas County Commission meeting for allegedly “interfering with the conduct of public business” after holding an obscene sign insulting a commissioner and arguing with the commission chair.

The commenter was Justin Spiehs, who previously has protested against COVID masking and vaccinations and has been removed from other local public meetings, including previous County Commission meetings.

Spiehs attempted to speak during the general public comment period of Wednesday’s meeting while holding an obscene sign insulting Commissioner Patrick Kelly. Spiehs briefly argued with Commission Chair Karen Willey after Willey told him to put the sign down, and Spiehs’ microphone was muted after a few seconds. Spiehs was muted at the previous week’s meeting as well.

After Spiehs was stopped from speaking on Wednesday, he moved to the side of the room near county staff and held the sign up silently for about half an hour while the meeting continued; then, the meeting entered two recesses in quick succession as he was asked by Douglas County Administrator Sarah Plinsky and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputies first to move closer to a nearby wall and then to leave.

Meanwhile, some of the dozens of people in the room shouted in disapproval that the meeting was being delayed, a few saying they weren’t bothered by Spiehs.

When Spiehs didn’t comply with either request, a group of four deputies warned him that he would be arrested for the disruption, and he was placed in handcuffs and escorted to a law enforcement vehicle outside the building.

After the meeting had resumed, county staff warned other members of the public, including members of the media, not to stand in any pathways in the meeting room.

In the Douglas County Jail booking log, the reason given for Spiehs’ arrest is listed as “interfering with the conduct of public business” and “preventing entrance or exit.” He was booked on a $750 cash or surety bond, was later released from jail and returned to the meeting at around 8:30 p.m.

As the Journal-World has reported, Spiehs has filed multiple lawsuits in the U.S. District Court of Kansas against local governing bodies, including the County Commission, related to his conduct during public comment at government meetings or at public events from which he was either removed or silenced when he displayed vulgar signs or spoke in a rude or obscene manner.

In April 2022, he attended a County Commission meeting displaying a sign that read in part “(f-word) these liberal mother(f-word).” Spiehs was arrested at that meeting on a charge of disorderly conduct for aggressive behavior toward another meeting attendee. The disorderly conduct charge was dropped as part of Spiehs’ plea deal in a child endangerment case, which had originally been charged as two felony counts of aggravated assault.