Five days after a physical confrontation outside the Josephine County Courthouse was captured on video, Grants Pass police arrested Edgar Michael Pelfrey and David T. Haury on Monday, August 31, following the discovery and review of additional video evidence.
Pelfrey, 62, and Haury, 39, both of Grants Pass, were arrested on allegations of harassment and disorderly conduct and lodged in the Josephine County Adult Jail. Updated jail records Monday night list both men on charges described as Harassment, Assault, Intimidation/Threat and Disorderly Conduct II. Haury was booked at 1:01 p.m. and Pelfrey at 2:31 p.m. Both are scheduled to appear in Josephine County Circuit Court at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 1. Jail records list $0 bond and $0 bail for both men.
The arrests followed an investigation into the August 26 confrontation during a protest near the courthouse, where the two men became physically engaged following a verbal dispute.
The Grants Pass Police Department reported that officers obtained additional video after the initial investigation. Police said the expanded footage allowed investigators to assess the entire incident and establish probable cause to arrest both men.
The new evidence brought an arrest decision in a case that had remained open since Wednesday. Officers responding to the original incident interviewed participants and witnesses and reviewed video available at the time, but neither man was taken into custody that day. Additional recordings were subsequently gathered as investigators worked to establish a more complete sequence of events.
Video previously obtained by the Grants Pass Tribune showed portions of the physical encounter involving Pelfrey and Haury. Haury had a broken arm secured in a sling and was accompanied by a small dog attached to his chest. Multiple witnesses who contacted the Tribune reported seeing Pelfrey make physical contact with Haury, including punching Haury in the back of the head, and grabbing him from behind as the confrontation moved from the courthouse sidewalk toward the street.
Several bystanders moved in to separate the men as the confrontation carried into the roadway and passing traffic. Video obtained by the Tribune captured portions of the physical encounter, while witness statements provided additional accounts of the events surrounding it. The recordings available immediately after the incident did not show every moment of the confrontation, prompting police to continue collecting video and other evidence.
Pelfrey subsequently provided his account of the incident to the Tribune, stating that Haury had backed into him aggressively before Pelfrey “retaliated” and took him to the ground. That account became part of competing descriptions of the confrontation while police continued gathering evidence.
Monday’s police announcement establishes that investigators eventually obtained footage extending beyond what was initially available. After reviewing the additional evidence, officers concluded that probable cause existed for allegations against both Pelfrey and Haury.
The August 26 incident is not the first time Pelfrey has been involved in a contentious public confrontation in Grants Pass. His activities have generated a documented record across city government meetings, political demonstrations, elections and disputes involving the Josephine Community Library District.
Pelfrey sought a seat on the Josephine Community Library District Board in the May 2023 election and was defeated by Tina Gotchall. His involvement with the library district continued after the election through repeated efforts to remove his property from the district and eliminate the associated property-tax obligation.
An earlier effort to withdraw the property was approved by the Josephine County Board of Commissioners in 2023 before becoming the subject of litigation. The withdrawal did not ultimately remain in effect. Pelfrey later returned with another petition seeking to remove the property from the library district.
The Josephine County Board of Commissioners rejected that renewed request in April 2026 after considering whether the property remained capable of receiving library services. Pelfrey has also participated extensively in public proceedings concerning the library district and its operations.
His involvement in Grants Pass city government became formal in February 2025 when the City Council appointed him to the Grants Pass Budget Committee. That appointment later became embroiled in controversy after social media material attributed to Pelfrey drew complaints over posts referencing the execution or hanging of former President Barack Obama.
The material was reported to federal authorities, including the U.S. Secret Service. As the Grants Pass City Council prepared to consider Pelfrey’s continued service on the Budget Committee, Pelfrey resigned from the position.
His public record also includes repeated contact with Grants Pass elected officials. The Grants Pass Daily Courier reported in 2023 that Pelfrey had sent 746 emails to city officials during an approximately two-year period. Pelfrey was also removed from a Grants Pass City Council meeting during a separate dispute.
Pelfrey has maintained a visible presence in Josephine County political activity and has appeared on issues alongside former Josephine County Commissioner John West. West supported Pelfrey’s efforts involving withdrawal from the library district. West was subsequently recalled from office by Josephine County voters in 2025.
Pelfrey was involved in another recorded physical confrontation during a Grants Pass protest on June 14, 2025. Video from that demonstration showed Pelfrey pushing another man during an argument. The Tribune is unaware of an arrest stemming from that encounter.
The August 26 confrontation placed Pelfrey in another physical altercation captured on video, this time outside the Josephine County Courthouse. Unlike the June 2025 encounter, police continued gathering recordings after the incident and ultimately arrested both participants.
The arrest of Haury is also a significant development because the video and witness accounts initially provided to the Tribune focused primarily on Pelfrey’s actions. The police department’s subsequent review of additional footage resulted in probable-cause findings against Haury as well.
A Josephine County resident went to the courthouse Monday following the arrests to obtain information about posting bail. The resident reported being advised that release could not be arranged Monday and that the matter would remain pending until approximately 11 a.m. Tuesday. Updated jail records Monday night subsequently showed $0 bond and $0 bail for both men, with their first court appearances scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The next stage will involve review of the police investigation by the Josephine County District Attorney’s Office. As of Monday night, no decision had been publicly announced on whether prosecutors would formally pursue the allegations against Pelfrey, Haury or both men.
The arrests do not constitute findings of guilt. They establish that Grants Pass police determined probable cause existed to arrest both men following review of the additional evidence.
The August 26 case adds another documented physical confrontation to Pelfrey’s public history in Grants Pass while also placing Haury under criminal allegations arising from the same encounter. The complete evidence reviewed by police has not been publicly released, leaving the additional footage and the conduct it captured central to any prosecutorial decision that follows.
Pelfrey and Haury remained lodged in the Josephine County Adult Jail Monday night following their arrests, five days after the courthouse confrontation that prompted the investigation.