STEVENS COUNTY, Wash. — The names of the two Spokane County Sheriff's deputies who shot and killed a man in Stevens County have been released. The name of the man killed has also been released.
Deputy Stephan Blaakman and Deputy Alexx Bullion were involved in the shooting at Loon Lake, according to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office.
KREM 2 confirmed with the Stevens County Coroner that the man killed by deputies was 52-year-old Jeffery Smith. His cause of death was listed as multiple gunshot wounds.
The man was shot after an hours-long standoff with deputies in Stevens County. Deputies said the suspect was armed and wearing body armor.
The incident began early on Oct. 12 in north Spokane County when deputies responded to reports that the man had fired a shot at another man and threatened to kill him.
The suspect left the scene and went to a house in the Loon Lake area off State Route 395 in Stevens County. The Stevens County Sheriff's Office sent an alert to neighbors in the area, warning of a potentially armed and dangerous person. People were asked to stay inside, lock doors, and not answer the door for anyone they didn’t know. Stevens County also requested assistance from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
The man left the house and went into a wooded area. Using a drone, deputies were able to find the suspect and contain him.
While in the woods, the man fired several shots, according to deputies, but is not clear who or what he was shooting at. Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said the man also yelled, including threats to shoot law enforcement.
Stevens County neighbor Mahaley Finney recalled hearing gunshots and sirens as the situation continued to escalate.
"I was shocked," Finney said. "Typically, we don't really have standoffs and SWAT teams in our area. So, it was just a whole different experience."
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said efforts were made to de-escalate the situation, including attempts from crisis negotiators, but they were not successful.
Around 10:15 p.m., several hours after the standoff began, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said the man approached members of the SWAT team. Two members of the SWAT team fired their weapons. The suspect was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.
The Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that the man was armed and wearing body armor.
"I just feel sad for my community," Finney said. "And for anybody to have to experience loss and tragedies, it's unfortunate and, you know, somebody lost a family member."
No deputies were injured in the shooting.
Spokane Independent Investigative Response (SIIR) Team, an independent investigative team, will take over the investigation.
Initial Spokane County call
The incident began around 3:15 p.m. when Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call of an armed person on North Spotted Road in North Spokane County.
When deputies arrived, a victim told them that the suspect has pointed a pistol at his head and threatened to kill him. The victim said the man fired a shot but did hit him. Deputies found a casing and bullet at the scene.
The suspect had left the scene and was later tracked to the Loon Lake area in Stevens County, where the standoff and deputy-involved shooting later took place.
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