Man killed in Spokane Valley pursuit

SPOKANE VALLEY -- A man was shot and killed by police deputies after a vehicle pursuit that ended at Sprague and University Sunday night.

According to a Spokane Valley Police Department news release, a deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a reckless and erratically driven vehicle at approximately 6:45 p.m. Nov. 22 near Valleyway and Mullan Road. The adult male failed to stop, initiating a pursuit, hitting parked cars, going into opposing lanes of travel and swerving at high speeds in the process.

Officers attempted to deploy spike strips to stop the vehicle but were unsuccessful. At Sprague and University, a deputy attempted to use his fully marked patrol vehicle to immobilize the suspect's car and end the pursuit.

The patrol car and suspect's vehicle were damaged in the attempt, but the suspects managed to drive toward another marked patrol car and two deputies. One deputy fire his weapon, striking the suspect.

Deputies and subsequently Spokane Valley Fire Department personnel and medics attempted to provide first aid, but the suspect eventually succumbed to his injuries and died at the scene.

As per standard protocol, the Deputy who fired was placed on administrative leave in addition to two other deputies who were directly involved in the incident. The Officer-Involved Protocol was enacted, leading to an investigation by the SIIR Team. The team is comprised of multiple agencies in eastern Washington, including the Spokane Police Department, the Washington State Patrol, Liberty Lake Police Department, Airway Heights Police Department, and the Spokane County Sheriff's Office.

The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the decedent’s name at a later time, when appropriate. Once the SIIR Team investigation is complete, the case will be forwarded to the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office for review.