Police Department

Northwest Spokane Has Two Armed Robberies in Three Hours

Sgt. Terry Preuninger, PIO

Wednesday, August 19, 2020 at 3:14 p.m.

Spokane Police Officers respond to two armed robberies at Zip Trip gas stations in the North West Part of town, they have one suspect in custody and are still searching for at least one more.

At about 2:40 AM this morning SPD received a call of an armed robbery that had just occurred at the Zip Trip located at 1023 West Wellesley. The clerk reported he was robbed by a lone assailant armed with a handgun. SPD patrol units and an SPD K9 team responded and began to search for the suspect as well as initiating the investigation.

About three hours later, at 5:37 AM, a second armed robbery call was dispatched regarding the Zip Trip at 2020 West Francis. Two suspects had entered the store, one armed with a shotgun and one with a knife, robbed the clerk and fled on foot. A Spokane County Deputy was within a few blocks of the store at the time the alarm came out and responded. The Deputy observed two suspects fleeing on foot from the store parking lot and he pursued them. City units arrived and also gave chase.

During the chase the two suspects split up. One suspect jumped a fence and dropped a 20 gauge sawed off shotgun along with loot from the robbery. (When recovered by officers the shotgun was found to be loaded and the hammer was cocked.) The first arriving city units (a patrol sergeant and a plain clothes Lieutenant) along with the SCSO deputy pursued the first suspect who had been armed with the shotgun. That suspect was caught after a brief foot pursuit, in and around houses and yards in the area.

The second suspect, who had been armed with what was described as a large knife, had fled west on foot, officers and an SCSO K9 team attempted to track him but could not locate him. An SPD K9 team responded and with SPD patrol officers conducted an area search, however they were unable to locate the suspect.

At this time both investigations are ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding either of these crimes is encouraged to call crime check at 456-2233.

The recovered shotgun used in the second robbery is pictured below.

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