Police Department

SIIR Team Investigating Officer Involved Shooting

Sgt. Teresa Fuller, PIO

Friday, September 25, 2020 at 9:40 a.m.

Update 9/29/2020:

The names of the Spokane Police Officers involved in the Officer Involved Shooting (OIS) from September 24, 2020, at the Bell Motel located in the 9000 block of west Hwy 2 are being released. Corporal Shane Oien and Sergeant Zachary Dahle fired their weapons in the OIS.

Corporal Shane Oien was hired by the Spokane Police Department in March of 1996. He was promoted to Corporal in July of 2006. He currently is assigned to the Patrol Anti-Crime Team and the training Cadre for SWAT.

Corporal Oien has received 3 Chief’s Citation Award, the State Medal of Honor – Exceptionally Meritorious Conduct, a Medal of Valor and a Lifesaving Medal.

Corporal Oien received an Associate of Arts degree from Spokane Community College.

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Sergeant Zachary Dahle was hired by the Spokane Police Department in 2003. Prior to SPD, he worked for the Seattle Police Department from 2000 to 2003. Sergeant Dahle was promoted to Corporal in 2013, Detective in 2016 and his current rank of Sergeant in 2016.

Sergeant Dahle has received the Lifesaving Award, letters of commendation, and was nominated for the National Veterans of Foreign Wars Award.

Sergeant Dahle received a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Eastern Washington University.

Original Release 9/24/2020:

Two Spokane Police officers were involved in an Officer Involved Shooting (OIS) incident. The officers fired their service weapons at an armed Domestic Violence suspect. The suspect was injured and transported to an area hospital, but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries there.

No officers were injured during this incident.

The incident is being investigated by the Spokane Independent Investigative Response (SIIR) Team.

The following is preliminary information gathered from statements of civilian witnesses and witness officers.

September 24, 2020, just before 5:00pm, Spokane Police personnel from the Patrol Anti-Crime Team (PACT) and the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) were following up on information passed on by SPD’s Domestic Violence Team. A wanted domestic violence suspect was believed to be at the Bell Motel in the 9000 block of west Hwy 2. The adult male was wanted 2 counts 1^st Degree Burglary (DV), 2 counts 2^nd Degree Assault (DV), and 1 count of 2^nd Degree Malicious Mischief (DV) from two separate incidents involving an ex-girlfriend in northwest Spokane this week, one on the 21^st and one on the 23^rd. In the incident on the 21^st, he fired a round from a firearm in the victim’s house. In the second incident, he pistol-whipped the victim. He also had an unrelated felony Department of Corrections warrant for Unlawful Imprisonment.

Officers were able to visually confirm the suspect was at the hotel, but while they were calling in more resources, the suspect was seen walking through the parking lot with a firearm. There was an exchange of words between the officers and the suspect and then two officers fired their weapons.

Officers on scene administered first aid until medics arrived and transported the suspect to an area hospital. Despite the efforts of all involved, the suspect succumbed to his injuries.

The Officer Involved Protocol was enacted. The SIIR Team is on-scene investigating the incident and processing the scene. The SIIR Team is comprised of multiple agencies in eastern Washington, including the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, the Washington State Patrol and the Spokane Police Department.

• The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is the managing agency in this incident. All future communications on this incident will be sent via the SIIR Team.
• The Spokane Police Department will release the name of the officers involved in this incident.
• Once the SIIR Team investigation is complete the case will be forwarded to the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
• The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the decedent’s name.

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