Police Department

Woman arrested after reports she was waving handgun around

Ofc. Teresa Fuller, 509.835.4568, tfuller@spokanepolice.org

Friday, December 4, 2015 at 5:43 p.m.

Spokane Police took a woman into custody without incident after multiple reports the woman was displaying a handgun, one of those reports near a school. Leah M. Williams (22) was arrested in the 200 block of north Howard. She was booked for Disorderly Conduct, Unlawful Display of a Weapon, Possession of a Weapon on School Grounds, and an unrelated misdemeanor warrant for Criminal Trespass.

Spokane police received the first call on Williams this morning, Dec. 4, 2015, just before 9:00am. She was reported to be in the area of Ash/Maxwell pointing a gun into unoccupied cars. Several minutes later, police received a call similar in nature in the parking lot of Bancroft School in the 1000 block of west Spofford. Officers had been checking the area and determined she had left prior to their arrival and staff at the school was safe. Students had not yet arrived for the day.

Just after 9:15am, another call came in from the area of Post and Main on the report of a female waving a gun in the air. The caller gave a very detailed description of the female and handgun. Officers were in the area within four minutes of the initial call, but before they arrived it was reported the female ran into River Park Square. With the assistance of River Park Square Security, officers were able to quickly determine she had fled from the mall and there was no threat to businesses or patrons.

Officers continued searching for the female which led them to the Indaba Coffee Shop on north Howard. The coffee shop had 10-15 customers as well as the female who was seated near the rear of the business.  Officers were able to safely get many of the customers out of the coffee shop before contacting the female and taking her into custody.

The female, later identified as Leah Williams, was carrying very realistic “Airsoft” handgun. She appeared to be under the influence and medics evaluated her at the scene. She was booked into the Spokane County Jail on one count each of Disorderly Conduct and Unlawful Display of a Weapon as well as an unrelated misdemeanor warrant for Criminal Trespass.

After following up with school staff and Spokane Public School District Resource Officers, it was determined Williams was the suspect who had walked through the parking lot of Bancroft School, so she was additionally charged with one count of possession of a weapon on school grounds. The attached pictures were from the incident at Bancroft.

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