CHATTAROY, Wash. — The Spokane County Sheriff's Office identified the deputy who shot a property owner in Chattaroy on Sunday night.
The deputy was conducting a prowl check at the request of the property owner involved in the shooting, according to Spokane County Sheriff's Corporal Mark Gregory. The property owners had requested the prowl check after reporting the theft of a winch, tools and other items from the location.
"We've never had any issues with any kind of of crimes up here," neighbor Brad Robertson said. "So when we found out they had a crime, I told them that we would try and look around and make sure that nobody was messing around with their stuff."
Gregory said the theft was estimated to have occurred sometime after 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 6 and the morning of Sunday, March 7. The victim also explained that additional items were pulled from under tarps and set aside, leading them to believe that one or more suspects planned to return to steal more property.
Initial information indicated that the property owner, who was armed, returned to the location to make sure it was safe from future burglaries or thefts. The deputy who conducted the prowl check and the sheriff's office were unaware that the property owner, who does not live at the location, was returning, Gregory said.
Gregory said he is "around 90% sure" that the officer was in uniform and a marked car.
The property owner, who was armed, confronted the deputy and he replied, according to Gregory. Shortly after, the deputy reported shots had been fired. Investigators said on Wednesday that "an exchange of gunfire occurred between the property owner and the deputy."
Robertson said he was watching TV when his daughter called and asked if he heard a shot being fired. No stranger to guns, he didn't think twice, but he went up the road to check anyway.
"There was police all the way up to the corner," he said. "We finally found out that it was the owner got shot, and it's like, 'wow, that's crazy.'"
Gregory added that the victim called around 11 a.m. on Sunday. A deputy arrived at the property at about 7:11 p.m. on Sunday and reported that shots were fired about three minutes later.
Deputy Craig Cupo fired his weapon during the shooting, according to the sheriff's office. He joined the sheriff's office in 2019 as a lateral deputy. He is assigned to the Downtown Patrol Precinct and usually works the North Spokane County area on the night shift.
As per standard protocol, Cupo was placed on administrative leave, Gregory said.
Gregory said the deputy provided emergency medical aid for a gunshot wound until medical personnel arrived. The victim was taken to the hospital for additional treatment. No one else was injured during the incident, Gregory said.
Investigators said the property owner had been interviewed and is cooperating with the investigation. He remains in the hospital.
"From what it sounds like, I don't know if it's true or not, but it sounds like it was just a mistake," Robertson said. "Just something happened wrong."
Robertson said no one expects to be shot on their own property, especially not by law enforcement. He said he is now doubting if he should even call officers in an emergency.
"It makes you think twice now," he said with a laugh. "It makes you think twice about calling them."
This isn't the first time this has happened in recent years, he added. Pastor Scott Creach, 74, was shot and killed by Spokane County Sheriff's Office deputy Brian Hirzel in August 2010.
At the time, Creach and his wife were sleeping in their home when Hirzel reportedly drove on to a lot next to their home to work on a report in an unmarked vehicle. Creach went outside to investigate what he reportedly thought to be a prowler when Hirzel shot him.
"In all honesty, my hat's off to the police department for actually doing what somebody needs them to do," he said. "But then here comes the shooting!"
The Spokane Independent Investigative Response (SIIR) Team is investigating the incident. The team is comprised of multiple agencies in Eastern Washington, including the Spokane Police Department, Washington State Patrol, Liberty Lake Police Department, Airway Heights Police Department and the Spokane County Sheriff's Office.