SPOKANE, Wash. — The robbery suspect has been confirmed dead by Spokane law enforcement. According to police, two SPD officers and a Spokane County deputy were involved in the standoff. One officer only suffered minor injuries.
According to a press release from the Spokane Independent Investigative Team (SIIR), the Spokane County Sheriff's Office received a call regarding a robbery near Oxford Suites in Spokane Valley. At least one of the suspects was reported to have been armed.
Washington State Patrol (WSP) confirmed to KREM 2 that the suspects in the robbery are Christopher Jones and Christopher Gooch.
In a presser hosted by Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl, details show that the incident occurred Wednesday morning shortly before 1 a.m. Officers located and followed the suspect's vehicle.
As they were calling for more resources, two subjects fled the vehicle. The suspected driver then began to speed away with officers trailing. Meidl said the suspect then crashed his vehicle in the area of 500 East Third while officers detained the two who fled from the car.
After barricading himself in the vehicle, the suspect exchanged gunfire with officers on scene. Meidl said that police don't believe the suspect was struck by any rounds at that time. An officer sustained minor injuries in the exchange, but was treated and released at the scene. Resources from SWAT, EDU, Spokane Regional Air Support Unit, Spokane County Sheriff's Office, Hostage Negotiation Teams and the Spokane Fire Department responded to support officers.
Over the course of more than four hours, officers attempted to have the suspect exit the vehicle. According to Meidl, pepper balls and gas canisters were used. Multiple times, the suspect would throw the canisters back out of his vehicle.
Law enforcement also noticed the suspect injecting drugs into himself while making profane gestures at officers, Meidl said.
According to police, a fire started near the suspect's car that spread to nearby bushes and a building. It is unknown what caused the fire at this time, according to the SIIR Team.
Around 6 a.m., the suspect exited the vehicle still armed. Meidl said it appeared the suspect was trying to target other officers. Soon after, more gunfire was exchanged between two SPD officers and a Spokane County Sheriff's deputy.
After the suspect was hit, AMR services confirmed he was dead, according to Meidl.
The investigation remains ongoing at this time and is being led by Washington State Patrol. All communication on the incident will be handled by the SIIR Team. The Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff's Office are expected to release the names of the officers and detective involved.
Once the SIIR Team investigation is complete, the case will be forwarded to the Spokane County Prosecutor's Office for review.
Gooch remains in jail on a $50,000 bond and will appear in court on August 16.
The names of the Spokane officers, and one Spokane County detective, who discharged their firearms during the incident have been released. It is standard procedure for members of law enforcement to be placed on administrative leave following a fatal shooting.
- Officer Jacob Siegel
- Officer Scott Lesser
- Corporal Brandon Lynch
- Officer Robert Riggles
- Detective Derek McNall
This is a developing news story and we will provide more updates as they become available.
Watch the full presser below:
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