Ozzie Knezovich

Following the resignation of Mark Sterk in 2006, Knezovich was appointed to complete his term as sheriff of Spokane County, Washington. Knezovich had worked with the Spokane County Sheriff's Office for ten years, but was considered an outsider candidate. The local Republican Party and the outgoing sheriff both endorsed Cal Walker, the Spokane Valley Chief of Police.^[4] Walker unsuccessfully ran against Knezovich in the Republican primary later that year.^[5][6]

During the 2016 presidential election, Knezovich supported Donald Trump, while questioning his quality as a candidate. Knezovich stated of the 2016 presidential candidates, "I look at it, and I say, 'Is this the best we can field?' It kind of speaks to the level of people that are willing to run for office anymore."^[7]

At a March 2017 political rally, Knezovich praised President Trump and blamed former president Barack Obama for violence committed against law enforcement officers. Knezovich told the crowd, "never in my history have we been hunted and assassinated, and I blame Barack Obama."^[8] Knezovich also accused Governor of Washington Jay Inslee of violating his oath of office by signing an executive order prohibiting state agencies from assisting in enforcement federal immigration laws.^[8] The Spokesman-Review later reported that murder of law enforcement officers reached historic lows during the Obama administration, and that Inslee's executive order did not apply to sheriff's departments. Knezovich stood by his remarks.^[9]

Following a school shooting at Freeman High School in Rockford, Washington in 2017, Knezovich held a press conference in which he blamed the media and elected officials for "a counterculture of violence, a culture that is enamored with school shooting."^[10] He also criticized violent video games and gang culture, while asserting that guns were not to blame.^[11] Knezovich had previously blamed the media and activists for violence following the 2016 shooting of Dallas police officers.^[12]

In 2020, during the Republican primary for Kootenai County, Idaho, which borders Spokane County, Knezovich endorsed Kim Edmondson for sheriff.^[13] Edmondson lost the primary election to Robert Norris.^[14] Knezovich did not endorse a candidate until September 2020, when he backed independent candidate Mike Bauer, believing Norris was unqualified.^[15] However, shortly after his endorsement, Knezovich withdrew his support for Bauer after receiving an email that had connected Bauer with Ammon Bundy. Bauer denied these claims.^[16]

On July 25, 2024, Knezovich was sworn in as the volunteer police chief for the town of Superior, Wyoming. He had previously been Superior's town marshal from 1990 to 1991.^[17] In May 2025, Knezovich helped lead state and local officials in an alleged drug trafficking case.^[2]