Police Department

SPD Responds To a Domestic Violence Call

Cpl. Ronald Van Tassel

Monday, August 31, 2020 at 10:56 a.m.

On Friday evening, Spokane Police Officers responded to a domestic violence on the lower south hill. When Officers moved in to make an arrest, the suspect used his child as a shield to avoid going to jail. Officers were eventually able to rescue the child from the male and then take him into custody.

On August 28, 2020, Officers responded to the lower south hill for a domestic violence call. After conducting an investigation, they determined there was probable cause to arrest 24 year old Adrian Kennedy for assaulting the mother of his child. Kennedy had a child under the age of 1 on his lap. Officers advised Kennedy that he needed to hand the child over and put his hands behind his back.

Kennedy became upset at this point, refused to release the child and held on tighter. He stated that he was not going to jail and that he was not going to let the child go. Kennedy then started telling Officers that they were going to have to taser him. He also stated that if Officers tried to take the child from him, he was going to start assaulting the Officers.

This was a very tense and stressful situation for the Officers. While trying to de-escalate Kennedy and calm him down, they had to quickly come up with a plan on how to save the child if Kennedy started to harm him. Officers have many strategies and less lethal options to take a combative subject into custody. However, many of those plans change when a baby comes into the scenario.

Once enough Officers arrived and they were able to do so safely, they quickly grabbed onto Kennedy, who did not give up. He kept a tight grip on the baby and refused to cooperate. The Officers had to pry his hands off the child and force him into handcuffs. Another Officer was solely dedicated to grabbing the child to keep him safe, the child was then immediately handed over to momma. Thankfully the child did not receive any injuries.

Kennedy was booked into jail for domestic violence assault and for reckless endangerment for risking the child’s safety.

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