Editing Evel Knievel (section)

==== Assault conviction, jail, and bankruptcy ====
While Knievel was healing from injuries sustained from the Chicago jump, the book ''Evel Knievel on Tour'' was released. Written by Knievel's promoter for the Snake River Canyon jump, [[Shelly Saltman]], the book painted him as "an alcoholic, a pill addict, an anti-Semite and an immoral person" through tape-recorded interviews done of Knievel and others.<ref name="tuscaloosanews.com">{{Cite web |last=ROGERS |first=JOHN |title=Victim of Evel Knievel bat attack in 1977 intends to collect money from daredevil's estate |url=https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/story/news/2007/12/04/victim-of-evel-knievel-bat-attack-in-1977-intends-to-collect-money-from-daredevils-estate/27734353007/ |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=The Tuscaloosa News |language=en-US}}</ref>

Knievel, with both arms still in casts, flew to California to confront Saltman, by then a vice president at [[20th Century Fox]]. On September 21, 1977, outside the studio commissary, one of Knievel's friends grabbed Saltman and held him, while Knievel attacked him with an aluminum baseball bat, declaring "I'm going to kill you!" According to a witness to the attack, Knievel struck repeated blows at Saltman's head, with Saltman blocking the blows with his left arm. Saltman's arm and wrist were shattered in several places before he fell to the ground unconscious. Numerous surgeries were done to the shattered arm that resulted in Saltman having a steel plate and screws.<ref name="tuscaloosanews.com"/>

Saltman's book was withdrawn by the publisher after Knievel threatened to sue. Saltman later produced documents in both criminal and civil court that proved that, although Knievel claimed to have been insulted by statements in Saltman's book, he and his lawyers had been given editorial access to the book and had approved and signed off on every word before its publication. On November 15, 1977, Knievel pleaded guilty to battery and was sentenced to three years probation and six months in county jail.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-10-06 |title=FBI file details allegations against Evel Knievel |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27052285 |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Evel Knievel Is Sentenced To Jail for Hitting Author |website=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/11/15/archives/evel-knievel-is-sentenced-to-jail-for-hitting-author.html |access-date=2024-11-14}}</ref>

After the Saltman assault and subsequent jail time, Knievel lost his marketing endorsements and deals, including Harley-Davidson and Ideal Toys. With no income from jumping or sponsorships, Knievel eventually declared bankruptcy. In 1981, Saltman was awarded a $12.75{{nbsp}}million judgment against Knievel in a civil trial, but he never received any money from either Knievel or Knievel's estate. Knievel expressed no remorse for the attack, once calling it "frontier justice".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stuntman Evel Knievel laughed Thursday at a $12.75 million... - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/12/24/Stuntman-Evel-Knievel-laughed-Thursday-at-a-1275-million/2494378018000/ |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref>