Last Saturday night, a Colville City officer was called to a local motel on a report of a vehicle prowling in which a firearm was taken from a vehicle.  This is more common at this time of year because thieves apparently see more opportunity to get valuable items from vehicles as hunters and travelers pass through the area during hunting season.

As I understand the events, the officer’s investigation led him to a room in the motel and a confrontation with a suspect.  The suspect produced a weapon and shots were fired.  The suspect was pronounced dead at a local hospital and the weapon was identified as the one stolen from the vehicle earlier.  The Spokane Investigative Regional Response team was contacted and conducted the initial investigation of the incident. An autopsy will be conducted by the Spokane County Medical Examiner as part of the investigation and items seized at the scene will be analyzed by the WSP forensic laboratory. This will take some time, but officer involved shooting incidents are given some priority. In due course I will receive the reports.

This is an example of the danger faced by our officers.  At any moment an officer may be forced to make a split second decision about what is happening and what he should do about it.   He may be forced to decide to use deadly force or not in that moment.  When the suspect produces a firearm, the potential is present that someone is going to be shot and the officer must protect himself and the public by taking immediate action.

Without the willingness of officers to occasionally go into harms way in the enforcement of the law, there would be anarchy.  Never forget that there are those out there who have no respect for people lives and property.  Law Enforcement men and women protect us from them and are willing to put their lives on the line when required to so.   We owe them our thanks.