Candidate for the Mukilteo State House of Representatives was arrested weeks before entering the race

MUKILTEO – A month before announcing his candidacy, police arrested a candidate for the state House of Representatives as part of a domestic violence investigation.

Riaz Khan, a former Mukilteo City Council member, is running against incumbent Democrat Strom Peterson in the 21st District, which includes Lynnwood, Edmonds and Mukilteo.

Days before filing to run in May, Riaz Khan resigned as vice chairman of the 21st District Democrats and joined the Republican Party.

According to a police report, Riaz Khan threw his wife’s friend out of their house on March 30, which led to an argument between the two.

His wife Ayesha Khan told police that out of frustration over the argument, she picked up a chair and threw it on the floor.

Then Riaz Khan hit her on the nose and ripped her glasses off her face, she reported.

Her 11-year-old son was in the house at the time. In the police report, her son confirmed her statement and said that Riaz Khan slapped Ayesha Khan.

Riaz Khan told police that he “extended his hand to protect himself” after Ayesha Khan picked up the chair.

Ayesha Khan called the police to report that he had become physically violent towards her.

Mukilteo police arrested Riaz Khan at her home as part of an investigation into fourth-degree assault and he spent the night in the Snohomish County Jail. He was released the following evening, according to jail records.

Since then, the case has been dismissed without prejudice, said Marianne Boggie, deputy chief of the Everett District Court. Because the case was dismissed without prejudice, charges can still be filed again.

In an interview on Thursday, Riaz Khan said he did not beat his wife and they were still together.

“Little things happen in every house,” he said. “I respect women.”

Before the Daily Herald received the police report on the incident, Riaz Khan said on Tuesday that he was arrested over a “minor issue” and “a family matter” with a neighbor. He declined to comment further on the incident.

In a phone call on Thursday, Ayesha Khan described the incident as a “stupid mistake.”

However, she confirmed that Riaz Khan hit her.

It was an accident, she said, and both apologized.

“We support each other,” she said. “Things like this happen that shouldn’t happen.”

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 said she didn’t know the police were going to arrest her husband. She just called so that someone could stop him.

“She did not want (Riaz) to be arrested,” the police report states. “She just wanted to make it clear to him that she had rights in their relationship.”

According to the police report, she refused to cooperate with the prosecution or to write a statement for the police.

“Riaz has done 100 good things. Just because Riaz has done one bad thing, they cannot judge his character,” Ayesha Khan said in an interview.

After the incident, Ayesha Khan told police that her husband’s verbal abuse had escalated and his respect for her had diminished. She told police that he had only been physically abusive to her once, several years ago.

In 2019, Khan was elected to the Mukilteo City Council, a nonpartisan office. Last year, he lost a re-election bid to Mike Dixon.

Ballots for the primary election were mailed out on Thursday and must be cast by August 6.

Jenelle Baumbach: 360-352-8623; [email protected]; Twitter: @jenelleclar.

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