SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -
A former Mesa police officer
was arrested and accused of sexually assaulting two women inside an art gallery
he owns in Old Town Scottsdale.
42-year-old Walter Knox says he
was floored when police arrested him for sexual assault and aggravated assault
with a deadly weapon.
Knox has not been charged and
he says the alleged victims' claims are bogus and it's all a scam.
The owner of Knox Artifacts
near Goldwater and Main Street in Scottsdale was arrested at his high end
gallery Thursday.
The alleged victims say a
handgun was involved.
"Any incident like that is
totally out of whack," said Antonio Mona of Casa de Artistas of
Scottsdale.
Fellow gallery owners were
taken aback by the allegations.
Knox, who wouldn't talk with us
on camera, told us off-camera that he was assaulted in a strip club earlier
that night, where he says police identification and prior duty weapon were
stolen.
He says a man and the two
alleged victims, who claimed to have witnessed that attack, came back to his
gallery where he says they tried to get him to invest in a project.
In a police report, Knox
admitted to having consensual contact with the women. He showed us photos of the two alleged
victims. Topless, in the gallery and
smiling as they showed off ancient artifacts.
Police say they found meth and
suspected cocaine in the back of the gallery, something Knox says the alleged
victims left there. He also claims they
stole thousands of dollars from him.
According to the police report,
investigators staked out the business for about six hours before arresting Knox
as the store closed following an art walk Thursday.
The arrest comes as a shock to
others in the high-end art community.
"It's a close knit
community of very wonderful people who not only promote the arts, but promote
the downtown area of Scottsdale," said Mona.
The alleged victims are 28 and
29-years-old.
Mesa police say Knox took
medical retirement in 2005 after serving about 10 years with the
department. They add that retired
officers get a police ID saying they're retired officers. They're also allowed to buy their duty
weapon.