One nabbed in high-speed chase

In the last week, several incidents have kept police busy in Airway Heights, including one that led to a high-speed pursuit of a fleeing vehicle.

On Sunday, Aug. 25 at 9:14 a.m., two Airway Heights officers responded to a domestic violence call on the 12400 block of West Frank Street, according to Sgt. Robert Swan of the Airway Heights Police Department.

There, a woman reported that her boyfriend Paul J. Reinhardt, 51, had assaulted her then left the residence.

“When officers responded she was crying and covered in bruises,” Swan said. “She also had large purple and yellow bruises from prior assaults.”

She reported drinking with Reinhardt when they got into an argument and was terrified he would come back and kill her as soon as the officers left, Swan said.

One of the officers went back to the patrol vehicle to get a camera when he saw the suspect drive by in a red Ford Focus. The officers pursued Reinhardt in their vehicle and tried to stop him at 21st Street, but he refused to stop, instead ramping up to 80 mph east on Highway 2 through a construction zone.

Driving recklessly, Reinhardt got on Interstate 90 before exiting toward SR-195 south, Swan said.

The vehicle skidded to a stop at a dead end with officers stopping their patrol vehicle about 10 feet behind it. Then Reinhardt’s vehicle suddenly reversed into the patrol vehicle, damaging its front end before ramming a city of Spokane police car and running into a ditch on the north side of the road.

Police boxed in the vehicle, at which point Reinhardt exited his car through the open driver’s side window and tried to run. He was apprehended but continued to kick and thrash as he was arrested, Swan said.

According to police, officers discovered a strong odor of intoxicants and saw several open beer cans in the vehicle.

Washington State Patrol then took over the traffic portion of the investigation and processed Reinhardt for driving under the influence, during which his blood alcohol limit was found to be more than two and a half times the legal limit, Swan said.

“I think the victim was truly in fear for her life,” Swan said. “While pursuits can be dangerous, it was appropriate to pursue in this case to get him off the road, because he was a bad guy.”

Reinhardt was arrested and booked into the Spokane County Jail on multiple counts of assault second degree domestic violence and assault second degree, as well as counts of assault fourth degree, attempt to elude, malicious mischief and driving under the influence.

Two other incidents requiring police response also sparked concern across the city last week, but according to police, the fuss was much ado about nothing.

According to a social media post by the Airway Heights Police Department, the first incident occurred on Wednesday evening and was rumored to be an active shooter call. In actuality, the call stemmed from a domestic violence argument in which a male left the residence and fired three rounds from a pistol into the ground as he drove away.

The suspect has been identified as 51-year-old convicted felon Ronald L. Brown, who was arrested a short time later when his truck was located at the Maverick gas station on Hayford Road and Highway 2.

The vehicle was unoccupied, but two Airway Heights officers located Brown hiding in some bushes nearby.

Brown was booked into the Spokane County Jail on five counts of unlawful possession of a firearm second degree, three counts of aiming or discharging a firearm and one count of possession of a controlled substance for methamphetamine.

The second call that was briefly called a “shooting” online by concerned residents was from WalMart on Thursday afternoon and involved a man that was reportedly seen walking into the store brandishing a handgun. The man was found by police and the gun turned out to be a realistic-looking airsoft gun.

It was determined that no crime had been committed and the man was sent on his way.

Swan recommended residents be cautious about what they see on the Internet.

“You can’t believe everything you read online,” he added.

Shannen Talbot can be reached at [email protected].