Cowlitz County jury finds man guilty of threatening cop
After a one-day trial, a jury found a transient man guilty Tuesday of felony harassment for threatening to harm a police officer in April.
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Longview police arrested Michael A. Carinio, 36, of an unknown location, on April 26 after officer Jaden Blain made contact with Carinio, who was reportedly digging through a garbage can in an alley between Eighth and Ninth avenues in Longview.
After being asked to identify himself and running his name through a police database, the officer found Carinio had a felony warrant out for his arrest by the Washington Department of Corrections.
A background check revealed he had made threats to harm law enforcement in the past. When Blain started talking to Carinio, he said, "Just wait until I start crashing out. You'll be the first one I come after ... I think that you need to be 6 feet under," court records show.
He continued threatening Blain.
"Keep smiling at me and I'm gonna smack the piss out of you," said Carinio, as he was trying to get into the officer's face, the report states.
Carinio had to be physically restrained before being placed into the patrol vehicle.
Court records show Carinio has a rap sheet, which includes a conviction while as a juvenile of first-degree rape of a child in 2005; failure to register as a sex offender in 2009, 2012 and 2019; and felony criminal mischief in 2026.
Blain provided testimony during the trial.
Carinio was represented by Cowlitz County Public Attorney Matthew Morrison, and the state was represented by Cowlitz County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Haley Jaskula.
After being found guilty, Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Michael Evans revoked any set bond.
Carinio interjected during the proceeding, leading Evans to admonish him for swearing and decorum, according to court records.
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