Police Department

Unpaid Drug Debt Shooting

Cpl. Nick Briggs, PIO

Monday, September 20, 2021 at 5:17 p.m.

Unpaid drug debt leads to weekend shooting, no one injured

On 09-18-21 at about 12:45AM, SPD responded to a shooting in the 7000 block of N Division St. The victims reported they were sitting in their vehicle when a male shot at them.

Officers contacted the victims who indicated they used to struggle with drug addiction but managed to get clean. The person who shot at them was an acquaintance from their previous life to whom they still owed money. The victims unintentionally encountered the suspect while running errands. The victims attempted to avoid contact, however the suspect chased them in his vehicle prior to firing at least one round, striking the victims’ vehicle. Officers were able to observe a bullet hole in the car, and were able to recover part of the bullet. Probable cause was established to arrest the suspect for a litany of crimes.

The suspect was identified as 28-year-old Damian Zowal.

SPD officers went to Zowal’s residence, located in Northern Spokane County, and observed him outside the house. When officers called out to Zowal, informing him he was under arrest, he retreated back into the home.

Based on the severity of the criminal charges and the danger Zowal posed to the community and officers, additional SPD resources were utilized. On-duty SWAT team members as well as a SPD K-9 unit responded to the location. SWAT officers arrived with a Bearcat (armored vehicle) and approximately three minutes later Zowal surrendered and was taken into custody without incident.

Zowal has ten felony convictions which include burglary 1^st degree and theft of a firearm.  

Zowal was charged with five felonies related to this incident: two counts of assault 1^st degree, one count of drive by shooting, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm (felon in possession), and one count of malicious mischief 2^nd degree (damage to vehicle by the bullet). At the writing of this release, Zowal remains in-custody on $75,000 bond.

Part of a bullet recovered from the victims’ vehicle is depicted below:

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