SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Court documents are revealing differing accounts of an incident between a Spokane County Sheriff's deputy and property owner in Chattaroy that led to an exchange of gunfire.
Lloyd Vaughn, a 41-year-old man who lives in Elk, Washington but has a property in Chattaroy, suffered a gunshot wound during the altercation on March 7. He was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, where he underwent surgery, and has since been released.
On March 7, Vaughn's wife reported a theft at the property on E. Grouse Road and requested that the Spokane County Sheriff's Office conduct a prowl check, according to court records. She said a trailer was being demolished and items were stolen from around it. She also told authorities that she found multiple items, including a yard tractor and concrete mixer, staged as if the suspects in the theft intended to return for them.
Deputy Craig Dupo arrived at the property to conduct a prowl check at about 7:11 p.m. and reported that shots had been fired a a few minutes later.
When an officer with the Spokane Police Department responded to the location, he saw Cupo wearing a standard green, marked SCSO jumpsuit, court records say. He also saw a man, later identified as Vaughn, moving his arms and talking about the pain he was in. Cupo said he had applied a tourniquet, which the officer saw on Vaughn’s arm.
According to court documents, Cupo told the officer that he had arrived on scene for a prowl check when Vaughn came out of a shop on the property and pointed a gun at his face. Cupo said he identified himself as sheriff’s office several times before Vaughn used an expletive. Cupo then fired his handgun at Vaughn, court records say.
According to court documents, a deputy who was in the ambulance with Vaughn told investigators that his wife had dropped him off to stay in the shop because of theft problems at the property. Vaughn was staying on a cot in the shop and armed with a revolver, the deputy said. When Vaughn heard someone outside, he confronted them.
Vaughn told the deputy that he and Cupo exchanged gunfire, adding that he believed he’d fired four rounds from his own weapon, court documents say.
A neighbor told investigators that Vaughn said he’d been robbed and was going to return to the property later that day with a crossbow, gun and cot. During the incident, Cupo yelled to her and others that Vaughn put a gun in his face, according to court documents.
Vaughn shares account of altercation with investigators
When Vaughn was out of surgery at Sacred Heart, he asked to speak with detectives. He said he “wanted to warn investigators that he has mental health problems,” court documents say. He also told investigators that he uses marijuana when he needs it at the recommendation of his doctor. Vaughn said he smoked marijuana throughout the day of March 7 at the property in Chattaroy.
Vaughn was also wearing an eye patch over his left eye due to vision difficulties stemming from his medical condition, according to court documents.
According to court documents, Vaughn said he didn’t know that his wife had asked authorities to respond to the property following the theft and didn’t think they would do so. He said police did not show up during the day while he was at the property.
Vaughn told detectives that he heard an older model V8 truck approach his property on the night of March 7, court documents say. He said he heard a door shut and it sounded as if the truck turned back eastbound. Vaughn went outside but didn’t see anybody and the truck was gone. He told detectives that he thought the truck may have dropped someone off to check out the property.
About 10 minutes later, Vaughn had another vehicle coming down his driveway and approaching his shop. He later saw one person approaching the southwest corner of his shop from the passenger side of the vehicle. Vaughn said the person was shining a flashlight around his property and walking toward the shop, court documents say.
According to court documents, Vaughn confronted the person by shining his flashlight in their face and saying, “Don’t f------ move.” He told the person not to go any further and put their hands up, and they responded by shining their flashlight in his eyes.
Vaughn said his flashlight could not have been mistaken for a gun and he didn’t recall the person saying anything to him until after the shooting, court documents say.
Vaughn said three seconds or less elapsed from him confronting the person until he saw “one flash” and a “ball of flame,” according to court documents. He said he was struck in the left shoulder and then fell to the floor.
According to court documents, Vaughn said he pulled the revolver out of his pocket while he was lying on his back. He then pointed the revolver toward the last location that he saw the person and fired all four rounds. Vaughn said he did not believe the rounds struck the person.
Vaughn also told investigators that he did not recall Cupo saying anything to him until after the shooting.
According to court records, the condition in which the flashlight was found appeared inconsistent with having been used the way Vaughn described. Investigators found the flashlight on a shelf in an upright position and turned off.
Investigators also found six empty .45 caliber casings in the area around the southwest corner of the shop.
A search warrant requesting to seize the first blood sample obtained by Sacred Heart when Vaughn arrived via ambulance has been filed in Spokane County Superior Court. Authorities believe Vaughn was under the influence of medications and marijuana at the time of the incident, court records say.
The blood sample will be submitted to the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab for further toxicology analysis.
Charges have not been filed against Vaughn but he is under investigation for first-degree assault. Cupo, who has served with the sheriff's office since 2019, was placed on administrative leave in line with standard protocol, a spokesperson said.