Although he didn’t harm or directly threaten anyone, some wonder why the judged ordered a ten-fold increase in his bail …
Apparently, many MAX Light Rail riders in the Gateway area came in contact with a man beset by conspiracy theories.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Based on his own writing, and the content of his 334 YouTube videos, 45-year-old Kevin Michael Purfield dislikes police. Not only do members of the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), have his enmity, but also law enforcement officers in many states and jurisdictions.
According to his social media postings, Purfield also believes that “chem trails” are harming society – and that the US government maintains a long-established base on the “Moon Base Aurora”, part of the “Horizon Project”.
In hundreds of rambling self-made interviews, Kevin Purfield talks about conspiracy theories, and run-ins he’s had with law enforcement officers. Still frame from YouTube video
There’s no way of knowing if Purfield has somehow connected that moon base with the July 2012 mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado. He also writes and appears in videos proclaiming many of those killed or injured in the theater shooting are actually alive.
“Purfield was reportedly emailing, calling, and using social media to contact various family members of victims of the theater shooting,” said PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Pete Simpson. “None of the contacts were threatening, but were unwanted and annoying. Purfield would often use vile language.”
The Aurora Police Department contacted the Portland Police Bureau in late-February, Simpson revealed, asking PPB detectives to aid in investigating unwanted phone calls and contacts by Purfield, done from the Portland area. Colorado law enforcement officials told reporters that Purfield “crossed the line from annoyance to disrespectful and criminal offense”.
On April 10, Purfield was arrested at 1:00 p.m. near the Gateway Transit Station. “Detectives arrested him without incident,” Simpson said.
Purfield was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) at 3:54 p.m. on five counts of Telephonic Harassment (a Class B Misdemeanor) and a single count of Stalking (a Class A Misdemeanor), with bail set at $10,000.
Kevin Purfield appears sincere, albeit misguided, when he speaks of his efforts to “help and inform” families learn “the truth” about what happened in the Aurora theater shooting. Still frame from YouTube video
Not an Oregonian
In his writing, Perfield told how he was “trying to get a business started”, but was “collecting Social Security disability” when he detailed his run-ins with the California Highway Patrol while living in Sacramento in 2010 “after moving from Roswell, New Mexico”.
He also wrote and spoke with distain about law enforcement officers in Portland on his YouTube videos, which mirror his Blogspot posts. CLICK HERE to open his blog.
On his blog, Purfield published photos of a medical report issued to him by Adventist Medical Center, dated October 19, 2012, following an arrest that Simpson confirmed took place.
In the medical report, the attending physician indicated that he was “trespassed” (banned) from all of the stores at PDX’s Cascade Station on October 14, after causing an employee at the YoCream store concern by his conspiracy theory chatter. This report also stated “Character of symptoms: Paranoid Delusional. Prior episodes: Chronic.”
Purfield was taken into custody after he went into the Cascade Station Sports Authority store on October 19.
-4 Based on a recommendation from the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, the bail for 45-year-old Kevin Michael Purfield was increased from the original amount by ten-fold, to $100,000.
Judge ups bail
During his arraignment Multnomah County Court on April 11, Purfield’s defense lawyer said that he had “mental health issues”.
But, Judge Adrienne Nelson sided with a prosecutor from the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office who pushed to increase the bail up to $100,000 on the charge of Stalking, a Class A Misdemeanor.
As of this writing, Purfield remains in MCDC; while he awaits a May 17 court appearance.
© 2013 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
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