Police Department

Statement from Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl regarding OIS

Michele Anderson, Public Safety Communications Manager

Tuesday, January 8, 2019 at 4:37 p.m.

Statement from Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl regarding the Officer Involved Shooting (OIS):

Last evening’s Officer Involved Shooting is currently being investigated by the Spokane Investigative Regional Response (SIRR) Team and that has not changed.

I do not want to circumvent that important process or protocol, but I feel it is important to provide an update to the preliminary information I provided last night immediately following the incident. It was a promise I made when I became Chief—to be as open and transparent as possible and to provide as much information as I can with our community without jeopardizing an investigation.

Last night just before 10:30 p.m., Spokane Police officers were dispatched to the 600 block of W. Montgomery Ave. after an individual called 9-1-1 advising a neighbor was firing a gun at them. The reporting party who called 9-1-1, neighboring witnesses and officers have advised they heard what they believed to be gun shots. Officers on scene also advised they observed the suspect holding a long object, which they believed to be consistent with a rifle or shotgun.

Adding to the preliminary information I provided last night, minutes after the incident, today I learned investigators recovered a baseball bat from the scene and a firearm was not located. The SIRR Team will continue their investigation to learn the facts of what occurred during this incident, why witnesses and officers believed they heard gun shots, and what led up to the use of deadly force. Officers on scene were equipped with body cameras which will be reviewed by investigators along with any footage captured by cameras in the area.

This is an ongoing investigation and a more detailed account of what occurred before and during this incident will be learned following a complete and thorough SIRR investigation. All future communications on this incident will be provided by the SIRR.

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