Two local elected leaders and the wife of the Longview-based state senator, herself, say she was assaulted at the September vigil for right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, according to public records.
In a written statement provided to Longview police and obtained through a public records request, Trisha Wilson, 49 — wife of Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview — writes that Jon-Erik Hughes Hegstad, 40, of Longview "belly bumped" her after she tried to intervene as he charged toward her husband.
Kelso Councilmember Keenan Harvey and Longview Councilmember Kalei LaFave also gave similar statements to police about the Sept. 10 incident.
An unsuccessful candidate for a House seat in Olympia, Hegstad told police days after the event that Harvey assaulted him, but Harvey was not arrested and denies the allegations.
Hegstad was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct, and gross misdemeanor of fourth-degree assault.
A spokesperson for the state senator through the Washington State Senate Republican Caucus said Jeff Wilson declined to comment.
Hegstad did not respond to The Daily News phone calls and text messages by deadline.
Hegstad ran unsuccessfully for the 19th legislative district seat currently held by Rep. Joel McEntire, R-Cathlamet. Hegstad, a self-described progressive Democrat, lost in the August 2022 primary with roughly 9% of the district votes.
Arresting documents say it was only after Hegstad was placed in custody on suspicion of disorderly conduct that police learned he allegedly chest-bumped Trisha Wilson following a verbal argument between Hegstad and the state senator.
In a police statement, Trisha Wilson, of Longview, writes that an "unhappy man," later identified as Hegstad, verbally chastised her husband as the pair walked from a parking lot toward the vigil.
Hegstad's truck, which had a Pride flag waving from the bed, was parked at Longview City Hall at the time.
As they continued to R.A. Long Memorial Park, Hegstad allegedly harassed and shouted at them using a megaphone.
Trisha Wilson writes that Hegstad charged at her husband, so she intervened to de-escalate the situation, and Hegstad made contact with her by "belly bumping me."
In a police statement of his own written days after the vigil, Hegstad alleges Kelso Councilmember Harvey, 35, assaulted him while Hegstad was questing Jeff Wilson as they walked from City Hall parking lot to the park.
Hegstad writes that Harvey attempted to strike a phone out of his hand but struck his arm instead.
Harvey told The Daily News Thursday "that definitely didn't happen."
Harvey reported to police on the day of the vigil that as Trisha Wilson walked across the street, Hegstad shoved his cellphone in her face while screaming profanities.
Harvey writes that Trisha Wilson asked Hegstad to stop following her, but instead Hegstad "made contact with her with his chest" before returning to his truck, shouting that Kirk should have been shot in his head.
Longview Councilmember LaFave, 63, also provided a police statement the day of the vigil, stating Hegstad "chest bumped" Trisha Wilson.
A Cowlitz County District Court citation states Hegstad was in the back of a pickup truck at about 8:04 p.m. that night in the Longview City Hall parking lot, using a loudspeaker to curse at the vigil near the R.A Long Memorial Park gazebo, as reported by Longview police officer Dylan Fletcher.
The citation states Hegstad’s language was a “breach of peace” and his “noisy and riotous conduct” even caused a motorist to stop in the middle of the road.
The Daily News also obtained police body camera footage of the incident. One of the videos shows officers huddling together and discussing which local ordinance Hegstad might have violated before arresting him while he was sitting in a camping chair in the bed of his truck.
When he was arrested, members at the gathering who he passed, began laughing, making remarks such as, "Awe, you got arrested," body cam footage shows.
Hegstad called eventgoers “Nazis” and “white supremacists," the citation reads, and his conduct interfered with the group’s ability to mourn Kirk.
Fletcher reports he heard Hegstad say "sh**" at least twice into the megaphone and "motherf*****" at least once.
Another Longview witness writes Hegstad called vigil attendees "f**king Nazis," in a "f**king MAGA cult."
