SPOKANE – The incident stemmed from a narcotics distribution investigation involving both SPD’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Members of SPD’s SWAT team as well as officers from the Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF) were called to assist in the apprehension of a suspect.
Officers learned the suspect was in a vehicle near the intersection of W 1st Ave and S Cedar St. On 10-16-22, just after 11 a.m., multiple police vehicles, with emergency lights activated, moved to block the suspect vehicle in order to prevent it from fleeing. The suspect immediately emerged from the car with a firearm and began shooting at officers. One officer was injured by gunfire, receiving a wound to the head; he was subsequently treated at a local hospital and released. Multiple officers discharged their weapons, striking the suspect.
Officers rendered aid to the suspect who was then transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Other occupants of the suspect vehicle were contacted by law enforcement. No additional persons were injured in the incident.
The officers involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure. Their identities will be released at a later time.
This remains an active investigation and this information is preliminary.
The officer-involved shooting protocol was invoked, and the Spokane Independent Investigative Response Team (SIIR) will conduct the investigation. The SIIR team is comprised of multiple law enforcement agencies; the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office will be the managing agency for this incident. As required, the Spokane Police Department will not be involved in the investigation. All future information related to the incident will come from the SIIR team, with the exception of the identities of the involved officers.
