Police Department

Disturbance at Excelsior Leads to Arrests;Injuries to Staff & Officers

Ofc. Nick Briggs

Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at 1:11 a.m.

Over a dozen Spokane Police Officers responded to the Excelsior Youth Center tonight on the report of a disturbance at the location tonight. Five juveniles were booked for a variety of misdemeanor and felony crimes. One juvenile was treated at an area hospital for re-aggravating an old injury prior to being booked. Several staff and officers were assaulted during the disturbance, but none of them sought immediate medical attention.

Tonight, May 16, 2017, a little after 8:00 PM, Spokane Police received a call from Excelsior Youth Center (3754 W Indian Trail Rd) regarding a fight at the location. Updated information was that multiple fights were occurring in the gym area and a fire alarm had been activated.

Initial police units arrived on scene and encountered a hostile crowd of juveniles in the gym. An estimated fifty individuals were present, with fifteen of those juveniles acting disorderly and aggressive towards officers. The crowd interfered as Officers attempted to separate and detain the juveniles involved in the altercation. The crowd continually yelled expletives at Law Enforcement and physically intervened during the arrest process.

One Officer was assaulted when he was elbowed in the face by a juvenile. Two other Officers sustained minor injuries while arresting subjects. Seven staff members at the facility reported being assaulted by students during the incident.

In total, five juveniles were arrested and booked into Spokane County Juvenile Detention. At this time the five individuals are facing a combined eighteen total charges, including Criminal Mischief (Riot), 4th Degree Assault and 3rd Degree Assault on Law Enforcement. Over a dozen police units, in addition to Spokane Fire Department personnel, responded to the scene.

SPD is committed to working with all of the educational facilities throughout the City to ensure a safe environment for students and staff.

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