SPOKANE, Washington – Some college students are warning others about a man now deemed “The Spokane Spanker.”
The women are students at Gonzaga University, a Catholic school in Washington where a man on a bicycle has been reported racing by, swiftly smacking random women on the bottom.
So far, four students have reported the crime to campus security and told KHQ News, “It was really terrible and just completely shocking.”
The women, who wish to remain anonymous, say they feel violated and disrespected.
One student says she was walking with her friend when the man targeted her, riding by and swatting her with such force that she bent over in pain.
And as he rode off, she says the man looked back, giving the students a look they will never forget.
“He just really clearly seemed pleased with himself, which was just really disgusting.”
But it didn’t end there – a few minutes later they say the man rode by again, this time slapping the other student’s backside.
“Particularly creepy with that incident was just that there was no real way that he would have come up behind us again without having to, like, wait and watch for us. It was clear that he was lurking and waiting for us, which makes it particularly terrifying,” she said.
GU Campus Security sent out the following warning to students, asking anyone who has been victimized by the rainbow-colored bandana-wearing “Spokane Spanker” to give police a call.
Yesterday between 2:30 PM and 4:00 PM, four GU community members reported being slapped on the buttocks while walking/jogging on either the Centennial Trail (off campus) or on the River Loop Trail (on campus). All reported that a white male on a bicycle was the offender. He was further described as being approximately 5’10” medium build, brown hair, orange shirt and dark shorts or pants. He was wearing a backpack in two of the incidents and a rainbow bandana in another. Anyone being assaulted or witnessing a similar assault is urged to call Spokane Police immediately.