Authorities: 2 arrested after man jumps from trunk

SPOKANE — Two Columbia Falls men face kidnapping charges after another man jumped from the trunk of a car in Washington state and said he had been beaten by the two and forced into the trunk in Montana, authorities said.

Prosecutors in Pend Oreille County charged Kenny J. Morrison, 29, and John M. Davis, 39, with second-degree kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment and assault. Davis also is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm that authorities say was thrown from the vehicle while officers pursued it.

Morrison and Davis were arrested in Newport.

Their bail was set at $100,000 during an initial appearance Wednesday. Arraignment was scheduled for Thursday.

The Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office said a motorist on U.S. 2 north of Spokane reported that the trunk of the vehicle in front of him opened at about 7 a.m. Sunday and a man jumped out, started waving his arms and yelling for help.

The man told the driver he had been beaten, bound and forced into the trunk. Authorities said later investigation revealed injuries consistent with his story. The man’s name was not released.

Officials in Montana’s Flathead County are working with Pend Oreille County authorities to investigate the case. Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said Morrison and Davis could be charged in either county or the case could be prosecuted federally on charges of kidnapping across state lines.

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