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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sirens & Gavels archive for Nov. 2011

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 30, 2011

Jury convicts man of filing false liens 

A federal jury on Tuesday convicted a self-proclaimed "sovereign" citizen of filing more than $20 billion in false liens against government officials. Ronald James Davenport faces up to 40 years in prison and a $1 million fine after being convicted of four counts of filing…

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Rathdrum man sentenced for sex abuse

A 26-year-old Rathdrum man will spend at last seven years in prison for sexually abusing a minor. Justin Scott Savage was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison with eligibility for parole after seven for lewd conduct with a minor under 16, sexual abuse of…

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Stabbing in West Central leads to arrest

A man was booked into jail after allegedly stabbing his roommate in West Central Spokane Monday. Robert Aron Young, 30, was booked into Spokane County Jail Monday for first-degree assault, domestic violence. The victim, Davis D. Botts, was taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center…

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Repeat offender's arrest reunites family 

The recent arrest of a Spokane man considered a repeat offender not only led police to predict a decrease in property crimes - it led to a family reunion behind bars just in time for Thanksgiving. Christopher Ryan Limpert, 24, (right) described by Spokane police…

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3rd suspect arraigned in bat attack

A third suspect in a baseball bat attack at a northwest Spokane home was arraigned Tuesday in Spokane County Superior Court. Eric T. Borders, 40, pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary for his alleged involvement in an attack at 4907…

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Symphony heckler removed by police

Police in Western Washington removed a woman from a symphony performance earlier this month for yelling "boring" in the midst of the concert. The woman's teenage daughter plays in the symphony, according to the Kitsap Sun. The woman told police “that was how things were”…

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TUESDAY, NOV. 29, 2011

Man gets 69 months for robbery spree 

A Spokane man who participated in an armed robbery spree last year has been sentenced to five years and nine months in prison. Sean T. Smith, 24, was sentenced to 69 months in prison after pleading guilty last week in Spokane County Superior Court to…

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Spokane police arrest burglary suspect 

A woman interrupted a burglary at her home Monday, and Spokane police arrested a suspect based on her description of the culprit. Police responded to the 1900 block of West Montgomery Avenue just before 1 p.m., where a woman said she arrived home to find…

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Charge dropped against 1 Pirtle brother 

A Spokane man once accused of a baseball bat attack last May has been cleared of wrongdoing after several people said he wasn't present during the assault. Prosecutors moved to dismiss a second-degree assault charge against Andrew Lee Elias Pirtle, 21, after detectives interviewed witnesses…

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Murder suspect, victim aspiring rappers 

A 21-year-old man shot to death at a Spokane hotel early Sunday tried to intervene in a fight when he was shot in the chest by a man his friends recognized as an aspiring young local rapper, witnesses told police. Witnesses told police that victim…

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MONDAY, NOV. 28, 2011

2nd man arrested in porn shop robbery

A fingerprint found on merchandise at a Spokane porn store helped police identify a second suspect in a gunpoint robbery earlier this month. Clinton James Smith, 50, (right) was arrested Wednesday on first-degree robbery and first-degree kidnapping charges. He's accused with James A. Turnipseed, 32,…

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An armed robbery suspect, John Castro, talks with police and Spokane S.W.A.T team members from a roof on E. Gordon Avenue after barging in the home, kicking out the residents and daring the police to shoot him on Nov. 14, 2003.  (Jed Conklin / The Spokesman-Review)

Accused killer has long criminal history

In this Nov. 14, 2003, photo, John Castro talks with police and Spokane SWAT members from a roof on East Gordon Avenue after barging inside, kicking out the residents and daring the police to shoot him. (SRPhoto/Jed Conklin) A 27-year-old man suspected of shooting another…

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Faith Gallinger stands in the kitchen of her North Side bungalow. The contractor has yet to do the $2,500 worth of work she paid for. (Jesse Tinsley)

Man in '95 Idaho fraud charged again

Faith Gallinger stands in the kitchen of her North Side bungalow. The contractor has yet to do the $2,500 worth of work she paid for. (SRPhoto/Jesse Tinsley) Faith Gallinger had long wanted custom cabinets for her early 20th-century home in northeast Spokane. Ronald Glen Stratton…

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SUNDAY, NOV. 27, 2011

Scammers target septic tank owners 

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Talk about a dirty scam. Federal prosecutors in Florida say at least three people working for a septic tank company duped customers into buying about $1 million in unnecessary products — in some cases enough toilet paper to last…

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WEDNESDAY, NOV. 23, 2011

Turkey dinner via Google Images (Google Images)

Happy Thanksgiving from Sirens!

We here at Sirens & Gavels hope you'll be enjoying a dinner similar to this one with your friends and family on Thursday. (The Internets/Google Images) Happy Thanksgiving from Sirens & Gavels! I hope everyone has a great holiday with their family and friends. The…

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TUESDAY, NOV. 22, 2011

City Council rebukes Thompson salute 15 

Police officers who saluted Officer Karl F. Thompson in a federal courtroom earlier this month have received more official criticism. The Spokane City Council on Monday voted unanimously to denounce the “courtroom behavior” of the nearly 50 officers who honored Thompson as he was led…

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Police: Man tried to light wife on fire 

An unemployed Dalton Gardens man allegedly doused his wife with gasoline and tried to light her on fire during a dispute at their home last weekend. Daniel Joe Zehm, 52, of 6103 15th St., was taken into custody by Kootenai County sheriff's deputies following an…

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2 stabbings, 4 arrests in armed robbery

A gunpoint drug robbery at a northeast Spokane home led to two stabbings and four arrests early Saturday. A victim, identified in court documents as Jason Paz, called police about 2:20 a.m. and said he'd been stabbed at a home in the 3900 block of…

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Fire at Wal-Mart leads to arson arrest

A man was arrested on a felony arson charge recently for allegedly lighting a fire at the Airway Heights Wal-Mart using sanitation wipes. Stephen D. Rye, 55, was captured on surveillance video lighting the fire about 4:45 a.m. on Friday and watching it burn until…

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MONDAY, NOV. 21, 2011

Driver arraigned in wrong-way I90 crash 

A Spokane woman who was driving the wrong way on Interstate 90 when she struck and killed 27-year-old Post Falls motorist in March was arraigned today on two felony charges. Teri Marie Scheele, 30, told police she had taken an oxycodone pill and "a couple"…

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'Judge Judy' to feature Spokane case 

Two Spokane County residents will appear on the TV reality show "Judge Judy" tomorrow as part of a landlord-tenant dispute. Shennen Blackburn of Liberty Lake is suing former tenant Samuel Doyle, of Spokane, for allegedly damaging her rental property, according to a press release. Blackburn…

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Suspected gunman hides in koi pond

A suspected gunman took a plunge into a cold koi fish pond but couldn't hidehis smell from the police dog that tracked him to his backyard hiding spot Sunday, police said. Before being carted off, Aaron P. Williams, 23, of Spokane, was checked for hypothermia.…

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Cops: Man rams repo men w/ Jeep 

A Jeep repossession led to a man's arrest on felony assault charges after he rammed a repossession officer's car Thursday in Spokane Valley, according to police. Cullen Joe Gibson-Snodgrass, 30, was driving a 1999 Jeep Wrangler when two repossession officers with Phoenix Financial, Kelly J.…

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FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 2011

Man arraigned on racist fraud allegation

A man already facing up to 10 years in prison for a gun conviction pleaded not guilty today to identity theft charges that prosecutors say were part of a white supremacist-related terrorist plot. Wayde Lynn Kurt, 53, faces up to 15 years in prison if…

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Thompson's lawyers cite jury interview

Karl Thompson's lawyers say jury forewoman Diane Riley's statements to media this week are further evidence of the need to examine whether outside information was considered in deliberations. Riley told The Spokesman-Review no jurors considered information not presented at trial when the convicted Thompson of…

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Public safety news from the Inland Northwest and beyond.




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