Meet Alexander Zachary French.
Alex French, 25, was arraigned in Jefferson County District Court on Monday, November 21st, for assault in the 4th degree committed on the evening of August 15th. That summer evening, across from City Hall, a press conference organized by women’s rights activist Amy Sousa following the expulsion of 80-year-old Julie Jaman from the YMCA, had turned ugly.
Regular readers will at least remember French’s blood-stained “Discharge” tee shirt. What we didn’t get to see before was his face, covered as it was by that toxic blue mask. Less than an hour before the above frame was snapped, French was pushing between and around women’s and men’s legs on the brick substrate alongside the Cotton Building, adjacent to Pope Marine Park, as can be seen in our previous coverage below. He wasn’t just somersaulting, crab-walking on his back and slithering, though. Six feet one-inch tall, 195 pounds — this hefty agitator was locking rally participants’ legs between his thighs, pushing his head against their groins and butts, disabling their sound equipment and taking their personal belongings.
The feature image is from police body cam footage taken that evening. The video reveals that French was taken by surprise to see a police officer as he strode cockily into the entrance of Elevated Ice Cream’s parking lot, shortly after he’d escaped the grasp of Officer Kamal Sharif and sprinted away.
His fingernails sporting dark polish, hands and shirt filthy from crawling around on his back for an hour — French recovered from his surprise and can soon be heard lying through his teeth, making excuses for himself, then chastising the PTPD for their lack of action on his behalf, ever the victim:
“So I laid down on the ground and they stepped on me and stuff like that, but I didn’t do anything wrong.
I was a little upset by the response from the Port Townsend Police Department, I’m not gonna lie — they weren’t really havin’ my back at all. Not that I wanted them to have my back, but I just wanted them to look out for me… I didn’t do anything anybody else wasn’t doing. All I did was sit there, and sit there, ya know…
I have a lot of PTSD and I’ve always been scared of the police. Like every time I talk to you guys it’s really upsetting… like when you guys pulled me over the other day… I was chill, you know, I usually have a panic attack after I talk to the police…”
In this four-minute video from Aug. 15th (“Protester Shows His Instability”), French tells one of the women he’d just assaulted and robbed that he’s a local and talks to the cops “all the time.” Mm hmmm.
Beginning at around 3 minutes in that video, you can watch what French calls “just sitting there” as the women’s press conference begins — the video quality is poor, but does prove unequivocally that the young man has no tether to honesty. In a turbulent frenzy, he slithers, spins and tumbles wildly on the pavement around Sousa, the first speaker.
Following his spinning and writhing display, French started to work his way at ground level among other people who were trying to protect speakers and equipment. In this 2-minute video below, French can be seen sitting on the ground bumping his head into organizer Amy Sousa’s backside — pausing to lower his mask and yowl at the top of his lungs — as his young lieutenant pokes Sousa with his cardboard sign.
French’s last act was one of attempting to push back and reach between the legs of one of the guardians, head ground into his crotch, to unplug the sound system. It was at that point that police finally intervened. Officer Kamal Sharif makes his presence known in bottom right photo.
At the point French was confronted by police, another agitator grabbed Sharif’s vest to prevent French from being nabbed. That distraction allowed him to slip the officer’s grip and he ran off.
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Official Police Report
Officer Sharif filed an incident report/probable cause statement on August 17th. The following are excerpts from that report.
“Upon my arrival, I noted that there was a crowd of approximately 250-300 people gathered in the area. Among the crowd were multiple subjects who were wearing dark clothing with their faces concealed with large backpacks. I am familiar with these types of attire based on my several years of working the May Day protest/demonstrations in Seattle as a bicycle officer. Officer Titterness and I patrolled the area on foot.”
This body cam video shows the officers shadowing a pair that they’d identified as carrying a baton and a knife, and they suspected a gun.
Sharif describes being contacted by Julie Jaman’s daughter, who told them that Jaman was being assaulted by people who were constantly bashing into her. He recommended that if they didn’t feel safe in the crowd, they should remove themselves from it. Then he describes approaching the speakers, where he caught French in the act of assault.
“Alexander was on the ground with his hands and feet backing into people backward intentionally. From my viewpoint, he was not able to see who or what he was backing himself into. I saw him back into Julie while on all fours almost knocking her off balance, but she did not fall. I also saw him, shoulder-checking people, but was not sure if that was the group that he was with no one came up to use [sic] to report it. Of note, there were a lot of people in the crowd, and it would not have been safe to enter the crowd at the time. Julie ran out and contacted us again. She reported that someone was going to get hurt if we did not do something…
We began getting more reports of assaults occurring in the crowd. We formed a team and went into the crowd to detain and speak with Alexander. We entered the crowd, to contact Alexander. As we approached the southeast corner of the building where all the commotion was occurring, I saw Alexander who appeared to be disabling the sound system that Julie was using along with the other speakers. There was a small group of elderly men trying to keep Alexander from disabling the system by attempting to block him from it. Alexander was crouched down pulling between their feet. I reach for him with the intention of escorting him out of the crowd. It was at this point that the suspect in the assault 3rd-degree case, later identified as Ryan S. Harris DOB: 04/08/1978 physically prevented me from detaining Alexander by grabbing me from the left side of my body on my vest causing me to use my left hand to physically get him off me.
This deliberate act to interfere and obstruct my lawful duty to detain Alexander for assault 4th degree allowed him to escape custody at the time. Officer Stanton and Officer Titterness were able to detain Harris who was subsequently booked on assault 3 on me.
Based on my observations and the statements from the victim, there is probable cause that Alexander Z French DOB: 12/09/1997 violated RCW 9A.36.041 assault in the 4th degree when he “bashed” himself into Julie Jaman’s ankle causing her to almost lose her balance.”
In later conversations about that night, many of us asked, “Who are these people? Are they from Seattle? Portland? I didn’t recognize any of the agitators…” Ryan Harris, the fellow who prevented Sharif from grabbing French, lives on Hastings Avenue. The tattooed thug who body-slammed me and so many others, and knocked Rachelle Burt Merle to the bricks, also lives in Port Townsend, as it happens. Just the kind of neighbors I’ve always dreamed of…
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Meet Sam Feinson.
Law partner of the self-avowed “pervert” mayor of Port Townsend, David Faber. Legal counsel for Alexander Zachary French.
At French’s arraignment, Feinson denied that his client behaved in a way that disturbed a lawful gathering, insisting that nothing French did at that event rose to the actionable legal premise of probable cause for his arrest, saying:
“What we don’t know is if he disrupted anything at all.”
Prosecutor Chris Ashcraft shook his head and shot back, prefacing his remark by acknowledging that he generally finds Feinson reasonable to work with, but he found this defense “disingenuous”.
“I’m shocked he would make that statement,” Ashcraft said. “Everyone knows what went on that day…” He proceeded to list items from the probable cause affidavit that was before the judge.
Feinson repeated that his client “did not disrupt a lawful gathering,” adding that people were “speculating, talking about one person among 250-300 people” — as if it were impossible for a single individual to impact an event.
The pro tem judge ruled in favor of the prosecution, agreeing that there is probable cause and ordered that the case go forward. A pre-trial status hearing is scheduled for January 18th, 2023, and a jury trial is tentatively set for February 9th.
Though Sam Feinson isn’t known for social media posts about having sex with chickens and dogs, like his partner David Faber, he did get some attention for this tweet to women’s rights activist, Mattie Watkins, insisting that the biological male Julie Jaman encountered in the locker room on July 26th was really a woman, because — he said so:
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The Arrest
Officer Sharif decided not to pursue French at the moment the perpetrator escaped his grip and fled on August 15th, choosing instead to investigate the multiple reports he’d received from victims and witnesses that night. Social media posts seen days after the event claimed French was seen in various places on Whidbey Island. There doesn’t appear to be a 4952 Ravenridge in zip code 98368. In this shocking 59-page incident report prepared by Officer Titterness, French is also listed at 441 Van Buren (p. 12), 4952 Ravenridge Drive, Freeland (p. 23) in addition to being referred to as “transient”(p. 1). Perhaps that’s not even his real name. The report includes numerous first-hand accounts of injurious assault, robbery and theft. Why he is not being pursued by prosecution for all that is a mystery.
On September 3rd, a rally organized by members of Washington Three Percenters and the Proud Boys, ostensibly in support of the women and men who were verbally and physically attacked there by the hateful mob a couple of weeks earlier, drew a large crowd of pro-trans opponents as well as roughly 50 law enforcement officers from the city, county and state. As fate would have it, Alexander French could not resist the call of the wild, his chance to be “victimized” once again.
On the lookout, PTPD Officer Chase Stanton spotted him entering the public restroom in the Cotton Building. According to his Supplemental Report filed on Sept. 4th, he contacted his team, and entered the bathroom with two JCSO deputies. The arrest was filmed by law enforcement body cams, the footage of which was acquired through public records requests by Crystal Cox, one of the many women who were assaulted on August 15th.
French was clearly stunned to be nabbed by police, so successfully had he convinced himself of his own innocence. Not long after he was led outside, he began vomiting into a nearby planter.
He was eventually asked to sit down on the planter edge, and in no time at all uttered what was surely yet another falsehood.
“I shouldn’t a come down here. I just came down to use the bathroom, then I was gonna go home.”
After French was searched prior to crawling into the Sheriff’s van for his ride to the jail, his phone, wallet and car keys were handed off to a female friend.
She was at the August 15th event, too. When the officer asked who he should give his possessions to, French pointed and said “that girl.” He then called to her to ask, “Would you call my dad?”
French’s booking included 1 count of assault, 2 counts of theft and 2 counts of robbery.
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On September 5th, this GoFundMe (GFM) fundraiser was created by Tom French:
The text is rife with errors — in fact, nothing within it is accurate, including the date of the arrest. The campaign garnered $340 before it was halted by the organizer. Did the anonymous $200 donation come from a local attorney known to support the trans agenda? Did that same attorney approach French to offer his service — perhaps pro bono — of representation? We don’t know, but we’d like to. We do know that French was not screened for a public defender, which is a bit odd for someone whose legal aid had just been the subject of a GFM fund-raising campaign.
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More incongruities, evidence from August 15
In this body cam video, Officer Marc Titterness is moving away from the crowd, and approaches other PTPD members. Officer J. Stuart says to him “at some point Jason wants me and Chase to go inside, so will you guys kinda hang out over here [aiming his thumb in the direction of the front steps of City Hall] and not get involved in that?”
Titterness responds that he’s “keeping an eye out for a big guy with a metal can [a string of unintelligible words] and that’s felony assault, that’s why I’m keeping my eye on him. That’s what I’m watching.”
The men are then approached by three women and a man insisting that they come over to aid and prevent harm coming to the speakers. They’re told that it is not the role of the police to prevent harm, only to respond if it occurs.
One of the officers expresses concern that an assault may occur, but the police are redirected to monitor the City Hall entrance instead. By that time, only a small overflow from a filled council chamber was milling about while, upstairs, a woke city council was heralding Port Townsend’s new trans rights proclamation. It made no sense that law enforcement should retreat from ‘keeping the peace’ to what was clearly a safe, inactive position where they couldn’t even see what was going on in the theater of strife.
This is from the PTPD webpage:
We strive to be fair, courteous, and respectful to whom we serve and come into contact with. We genuinely desire to partner with our community to reduce crime and the fear of crime, promote all aspects of safety, and strive to protect and serve the community in which you live, work, and play.
As Chief, I believe in strong leadership, transparency, and accountability from every member of the Department. My priorities include being responsive to our citizens, conducting thorough criminal investigations and enforcing traffic laws to improve the quality of life within our city. I recognize our ability to serve and maintain public trust is predicated largely upon our actions. Therefore, we shall strive to earn your trust every day we serve.
Some of the police seemed concerned to leave the Sousa/Jaman event given what they viewed as the potential for violence. Mayor Faber pronounced that evening “beautiful.” Something’s not adding up.
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“I have a question for you. When you were a little boy,
is this the man you dreamed of becoming?”*
From the looks of things, Alexander French has zero experience with taking personal responsibility for his actions. If Sam Feinson has his way, that won’t happen this time, either. Restorative justice might advocate for French having to sit down and watch the videos taken on the afternoon/evening of August 15th, followed by all of the filmed denials of everything he’d done that day, and his subsequent defense and disavowal of it.
What chance does this young man have to live an authentic, fulfilling life when the adults in his circle support his lies and misdemeanors with more lies and protection from accountability?
It has been said that “every perpetrator was a victim.”
What has happened in his young life that encouraged the sort of behavior displayed on August 15th? Why did so many of the people in that crowd support it?
How was he convinced that he must go to these lengths to ensure that males can enter female spaces? Or is that not his mission at all? Is he on pharmaceuticals known to contribute to aggression, belligerence, the inability to consider consequences, thus always on the lookout for opportunities to go rogue?
At this juncture we can only guess. Alex French is certainly a victim of these culture wars — as are his peers — born into a degenerate system that was waiting for them with open arms and closed minds. When I imagine the future 25 years from now through the lens we were given that day, it appears very bleak indeed.
* Author Michael LaRocca
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Special thanks to Crystal Cox for her diligent investigative work and sharing of public records acquisitions.
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See our previous in-depth coverage of this topic:
Women Seeking Civil Rights Stand Up to Mob Hatred and Intimidation in Port Townsend
Annette Huenke studied International Relations at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to heading west, she was a manager for an Auckland-based international publisher of peer-reviewed drug information journals. In 1992 she moved to Port Townsend, opening Ancestral Spirits Gallery in 1993. She is past vice president of the Jeff Co EDC and board member of The Boiler Room. She researches, writes and wanders the forests around PT.
Is Alex French any relation to Mike French, our Clallam County Commissioner?
I have no idea, John. It’s a very common surname. If you uncover news on that, please let us know here.
https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/port-angeles-council-recognizes-sharp-french/
There’s a photo of Mike French in that article. If Alex French and Mike French are not related,I’m the King of England.
Perhaps you are the King of England, Mr. Dale. It will take far greater evidence than a vague resemblance inferred by poor video footage and an extremely common surname to prove it.
I suppose the bigger question is — what is your point?
Not sure what anyone else’s point would be but my point would be this, as best spoken by Ana:
It underscores a sickness in our local political ruling class…
I’m happy to know that perpetrators are being prosecuted. I know of three women who have decided to file charges lately. This disrespect and abuse of elderly women, and erasure of women’s voices, has to stop NOW. Thank you for telling this story, Annette.
It is truly sad that the MisLeader labeled this an “Anti Trans Rally” in their “coverage” of the day’s events. One has to laugh at the Chief of Police saying, “My priorities include being responsive to our citizens, conducting thorough criminal investigations and enforcing traffic laws to improve the quality of life within our city.”
People were clearly being assaulted as he said he was ordered to stand down by Appointed Mayor Faber and City Manager Mauro across the street.
And enforcing traffic laws? Is the municipal code regarding parking not included in his mind? Ordered to stand down there as well by his boss City Manager Mauro, who for 3 years muzzled 3 police chiefs. Perhaps Mr. French isn’t the only one plagued with a lack of responsibility and handicapped where the truth is involved.
Thanks for the update and hard work once again Annette. Sadly lacking on the few MisLeader stories where the power core is concerned. What a totally controlled little town we have here.
Wondering how Julie’s legal situation with the YMCA is going. Won’t look for any info in the MisLeader.
A totally controlled little town, yes. And as long as all the homes available in town are out of the reach of working class people it will continue to be that way.
What we need on the council are some people who know what it is like to get up and go to actual work every day and their paychecks don’t make the ends meet. We need some people on the council who are parents trying to raise self-sufficient and responsible children in the manner of our ancestors. We need some people on the council along the lines of Jim Scarantino or Steven Schumacher.
The problem is there are too many people in the city who are comfortable in their smug narcissistic self-satisfaction and only want to alleviate any suffering amongst their fellow human beings in a communist communalist way. They will vote Democrat straight down the ticket every single time. And until that changes, nothing else will change in its wake.
You are the company you keep around you, what a joke this guy is a menace and boy is that not like sexual harassment to the old guy in the jeans….super disturbing so glad I missed that one…
This was well said and I so appreciate reading some actual journalism!
The full scope of the damage inflicted by young French while crying victimhood — “All I did was sit there, and sit there, ya know” — becomes apparent when one reads through the 59-page incident report that Annette links above. Multiple citizens corroborate how aggressive and untethered he was at the event, including a man whose assault report recalls:
“My assailant was lying on the ground very close to the PA, attempting to disable it. At that moment he kicked me very hard in the genitals. In great pain, I doubled over for a moment and then I stood up straight and looked down at him. He looked back at me and said, “Yeah! You want some more?!”
What is most concerning is not how disturbed this young delinquent is — these troublemakers exist. It is that our mayor’s law firm chose to represent his case, blatantly denying that delinquency. This is the second time we have seen David Faber’s law partner, the self-described “bald barrister” jump in (likely pro bono) to try to cover for reprehensible behavior. It underscores a sickness in our local political ruling class. One wonders how Feinson could not be embarrassed to argue that French’s unhinged, violent actions — spelled out for the court in dozens of pages of citizen affidavits, copious video footage, and official police reports — were “not disruptive.” But it would seem that embarrassment (or any moral compass for that matter) is not in the value set of the Faber-Feinson partnering.
It is so very sad. These kids are so lost. I cannot believe the people I recognize in the videos screaming Men are women. It is so surreal. Thank you for the work put into this important article. And, the mayor continues to show his total lack of leadership abilities and questionable morality. What is wrong with people? Men are not women. Women are not men. Stop the madness. Let Julie swim again, no men in women’s bathrooms. This is all part of continuing to divide us all so we stay distracted from the big picture. Sadly, the young people and Feinson/Faber think-alikes are all just pawns in the game. While vehemently saying they are the saviors. So tiresome. We truly are in 1984. I am afraid we cannot make it fiction again.
As far as I know, they have reduced the charges to disorderly conduct. Many crimes took place that day. My story is one of many. French first attempted to steal my $1100 iPhone because I filmed him when his mask slipped off.
After I was able to wrestle my phone from him (with the aid of Amy S.) he immediately retaliated and went for my shoe, and in the process assaulted me with injury. I suffered whiplash and vertigo for three weeks after. I also consider it a sexual assault because when he had my foot he handled it in a sexual nature, putting it between his legs next to his crotch and squeezing it hard enough to leave a large bruise. The police did not charge him with sexual assault, but I did include the details in the police report.
Alex pinned you down and ripped things off of your body, he assaulted you period. I found it quite traumatizing to watch, here is a video I did of my emotional response after witnessing your attack. https://rumble.com/v1gmlk1-reverend-crystal-cox-shares-what-came-up-fwhile-watching-jennifer-thomas-of.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=12
Sounds like a vibrant community struggle session was had by all. Mao would be so proud.
This one really bothered me. He invaded our space aggressively, but does not want anyone in his space, as he has PTSD. His “feelings” and “rights” matter but ours did not. He says, “The Officer Grabbed me Hard, I wasn’t breaking the law. I’m freaked out” he talks of the protest and counter protest. It was a Press Conference, not a protest. They violently invaded our event and attacked us. He goes on to say his tax payer dollars paid for the park. He says, “ I have big time PTSD, and I want bigtime personal space is all I am asking”. Yet he just hung off us, rammed into us, howled with his face in our privates. He did not care one bit of our personal space, but he wanted his. Here is the Officer body cam I am referring to:
https://rumble.com/v1kiaq1-alex-french-assaulter-talking-to-police-on-him-not-breaking-the-law.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=11
People should avoid “protests”, but if they insist on attending, they should be prepared to defend themselves. If a corrupt mayor tells police to stand down, and people are injured, the victims should be prepared to defend themselves, with firearms if necessary, as no other aid is on the way.
It wasn’t a protest, it was a press conference, and a city council meeting that we were prevented from attending. It’s a sad state of affairs that firearm protection is suggested for attending such events but I do agree it is not the worst suggestion. As far as I’m concerned Port Townsend is a hellhole and no woman or child is safe to walk the streets.