WASHINGTON — A Spokane County sheriff’s deputy is dead and a second deputy is on life support after a man opened fire on officers answering a domestic violence call in Spangle on Tuesday afternoon. Four people died in all, and officials say the number is likely to rise.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said deputies went to a home in the 18700 block of South Smythe Road after a woman ran to a neighbor’s house and said her brother had shot her.
Deputies arrived at about 2:25 p.m. They learned the suspect had several felony warrants for his arrest, had access to more guns, and that other victims might still be inside the home. The county SWAT team was called in to help.
At about 3:15 p.m., SWAT officers and deputies entered the home without a search warrant because they feared people inside were in immediate danger. As they entered, shots were fired from inside the home. Two deputies were hit and critically wounded. Other deputies fired back, pulled the wounded men to safety and gave them first aid.
Both deputies were flown to Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane. The woman who had fled the house was also taken to a hospital. Her gunshot wound was not life-threatening.
Inside the home, officers found one victim dead and the suspect dead. A second victim was found dead in the yard.
One of the wounded deputies died on Tuesday night. The sheriff’s office said he is survived by his wife and two children. The second deputy remains on life support in critical condition and is not expected to survive. His family is with him, and arrangements for organ donation are being made.
“They bravely moved toward danger to protect others they did not know,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “They did this with honor and with an unwavering sense of duty.”
Gov. Bob Ferguson said, “My prayers remain with the families of these deputies.”
The names of the deputies and the victims have not been released. The sheriff’s office said the families have asked for privacy, and the deputies’ names will be released later.
Because deputies fired their weapons, an outside team — the Spokane Independent Investigative Response Team — is investigating the shooting. The sheriff’s office and the Spokane Valley Police Department, whose officers were involved, will not take part in that investigation.
