MUKILTEO — A month before declaring his candidacy, police arrested a candidate for state House for investigation of misdemeanor domestic violence.
Riaz Khan, a former Mukilteo City Council member, is running against incumbent Rep. Strom Peterson, a Democrat, in the 21st District, encompassing Lynnwood, Edmonds and Mukilteo.
Days before filing for the race in May, Riaz Khan resigned as the vice chair of the 21st District Democrats, joining the Republican Party.
On March 30, Riaz Khan kicked his wife’s friend out of their house, sparking an argument between the two, according to a police report.
Ayesha Khan, his wife, told police she picked up a chair and slammed it on the ground out of frustration in the argument.
Then, Riaz Khan hit her in the nose, knocking the glasses off her face, she reported.
Their 11-year-old son was in the house at the time. In the police report, their son corroborated her account, saying Riaz Khan slapped Ayesha Khan.
Riaz Khan told police he “put his hand out to protect himself” after Ayesha Khan picked up the chair.
Ayesha Khan called the police to report he had been physical with her.
Mukilteo police arrested Riaz Khan at their home for investigation of fourth-degree assault and he spent the night in the Snohomish County Jail. He was released the following evening, jail records show.
Since then, the case was dismissed without prejudice, Everett District Court Assistant Administrator Marianne Boggie said. Because it was dismissed without prejudice, charges can still be refiled.
In an interview Thursday, Riaz Khan said he did not hit his wife and they are still together.
“Every house goes through minor things,” he said. “I respect women.”
Before the Daily Herald acquired the police report on the incident, Riaz Khan said Tuesday he was arrested after a “minor issue” and “a family thing” with a neighbor. He declined to comment further on the incident.
In a phone call Thursday, Ayesha Khan called the incident a “silly mistake.”
She affirmed, however, Riaz Khan did hit her.
It was an accident, she said, and they both apologized.
”We are supportive of each other,” she said. “These things happen, they are not supposed to.”
When she called the police that day, she was angry, didn’t know where to go and was exhausted from fasting during Ramadan, Ayesha Khan said.
She didn’t know the police would arrest her husband. She just called to get someone to stop him, she said.
“She had not wanted [Riaz] to be arrested,” the police report stated. “She just needed him to understand that she had rights in their relationship.”
She refused to assist in the prosecution or write a statement for the police, according to the police report.
“Riaz did 100 good things. Just because Riaz did one bad thing, they cannot judge his character,” Ayesha Khan said in an interview.
After the incident, Ayesha Khan told police her husband’s verbal abuse had been escalating and his respect for her was declining. He had only been physical with her one other time several years ago, she told police.
In 2019, Khan was elected to the Mukilteo City Council, a non-partisan position. He lost a bid for re-election last year to Mike Dixon.
Ballots for the primary election were mailed out Thursday. They are due Aug. 6.
Jenelle Baumbach: 360-352-8623; jenelle.baumbach@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jenelleclar.
Help available
Domestic Violence Service of Snohomish County operates a 24-hour hotline for people needing help: 425-252-2872 (425-25 ABUSE).
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
