SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash — It was a busy 48 hours for law enforcement in Spokane and Spokane County after two deadly shootings involving law enforcement.
It began on Tuesday night when Spokane County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) deputies shot and killed a suspect after a standoff. Then on Wednesday night, Spokane Police shot and killed a man on the South Hill.
As a result, nine Spokane Police officers and four SCSO deputies are now on paid administrative leave, which is part of standard protocol for incidents like these.
Also part of protocol: both the Spokane Police Department (SPD) and SCSO are not investigating the incidents in which they're directly involved.
To get an idea of how incidents like these can impact a department, especially with more than a dozen law enforcement members off the streets because of these most recent incidents, KREM 2 spoke with Cheney Police Chief Rick Beghtol.
Beghtol states law enforcement agencies across the state of Washington are struggling with staffing. According to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, Washington sits 51st in the country for law enforcement staffing (All 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, are included in the list).
Beghtol said at the Cheney Police Department (CPD), they work 12 hour shifts and with 25 personnel, meaning even just one officer going on leave would impact the rest of the department.
“Takes a toll," Beghtol said. "Takes a toll on their family. It takes a toll on the department. The overtime budgets are spiraling out of control.”
SPD spokesperson Julie Humphreys admits having nine officers on leave will have an impact on their staffing levels, but says they'll be able to handle the shortage.
However, Chief Beghtol said there's another impact law enforcement deal with when involved in a deadly shooting: the mental toll.
He remembers how back in 2018, three Cheney Police officers were put on leave for their part in a deadly shooting. Of the three, only one still works at the department.
“This isn't at all like television,” Chief Beghtol said. “The emotional toll that being involved in something like this is real.”
As for how long an officer can be out on leave, Chief Beghtol said it can vary due to both the investigation and if the officer is mentally fit to come back to work.
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