Ryan Clark, member of the hate group RV Salt Shakers, was in court last week on weapons charges.
By Brad
Smith
GRANTS
PASS, Ore. – Ryan Clark, a supposed minister and member of the hate group known
as the RV Salt Shakers, pleaded no contest to weapons charges last week.
According
to records, Clark, 43, appeared in court on Dec. 2. and made his plea on the
charges of unlawful use of a weapon. He was sentenced to ten days in custody –
which could be served either at home or in jail – and placed on 18 months
unsupervised probation. He also had to surrender his shotgun. In a plea
agreement, additional charges of reckless endangerment were dismissed.
Clark and Jon
Clement, 61, were arrested on Oct. 26 by Grants Pass police after the pair were
allegedly shooting at birds from a pontoon boat drifting down the Rogue River.
According to press releases, the two men fired shotguns as their boat drifted
near both Tussing and Reinhart Volunteer Parks. Some witnesses reported they
heard pellets pass overhead.
Clement
and Clark were taken into custody sometime after 5 p.m. and were booked into
the Josephine County Jail. Both were charged with unlawful use of a weapon and
reckless endangerment.
Clement is the leader of RV Salt Shakers, a hate group
that’s operated throughout southern Oregon for the last few years. Clark is
allegedly a member as well. The Salt Shakers have been known to picket area
Planned Parenthood clinics and harass patients and others using PP services.
The Shakers have also been a nuisance at many local events, ranging from Pear
Blossom to Ashland’s holiday parade. A number of groups have taken measures to
bar the Salt Shakers from their events. They have also targeted the LGBTQ and
immigrant communities.
Clement’s group has been accused of using fear tactics and
even intimidation.
“(Fear tactics) are sometimes necessary to further our
message,” he said in 2019. “If it helps our cause, we’ll do it.”
Word of Clement and Clark’s arrests spread like wildfire
through social media and it wasn’t long before the group’s page was hit by
trolling.
Clement is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 14.
Convicted child abuser Trevor Emptage is a member of the
hate group as well. It’s still not known if a criminal record is a prerequisite
for RV Salt Shaker membership.
As of press time, the RV Salt Shakers page, one of them, is up on social media. For how long is not known.
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