A disturbing incident unfolded on the morning of November 4, 2023, in Spokane Valley, Washington, as a local man, 27-year-old Ivan Zenoskey, brandished a machete and pointed it at a store employee. Zenosky was arrested and booked into Spokane County Jail but released on his own recognizance the following day.
At approximately 9:05 am, Spokane Valley Deputies received a distressing call reporting a man waving a machete at a store employee in the 5300 block of E. Sprague Avenue.
The victim said that he had dropped a bag while approaching the store’s entrance.
When he retrieved the bag, he noticed Zenoskey, who was standing on the sidewalk, staring at him. The situation took a dangerous turn when Zenoskey moved directly in front of the store’s entrance, produced a machete from his jacket, and menacingly pointed it at the victim.
After a few moments, Zenoskey nonchalantly returned the machete to his jacket. The victim felt threatened by Zenoskey’s actions and feared for his safety.
Additional deputies, responding to the victim’s description, swiftly located Zenoskey in front of another store, Big 5, situated at 5725 E. Sprague Avenue.
Zenoskey cooperated with the deputies, following their instructions, and was safely detained. During a thorough search of his person, a large machete was discovered cunningly tucked inside his left boot, concealed by his pant leg.
Intriguingly, Zenoskey initially identified himself as Mark Zolnikov, an alias that the deputies later unraveled.
Upon being informed of his rights, Zenoskey admitted that he was under the influence of drugs and had brandished the machete at two separate individuals.
He claimed to have acted out of a misguided belief that he was being provoked, even though he later acknowledged that the victim had not engaged in any threatening behavior.
In response to this alarming incident, Zenoskey was taken into custody and subsequently booked into the Spokane County Jail.
He now faces charges of Brandishing/Intimidation with a Weapon, a serious offense related to his menacing behavior with the machete. To the surprise of many, he was released the following day on his own recognizance by Spokane County District Court Judge J. Smith, raising questions about the justice system’s approach to such cases.
Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.
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