Sheriff’s Deputies Overcome Stubborn Gunman

A gunman who threatened to kill his brother was subdued by Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies early Tuesday following a brief standoff in the Spokane Valley.

Darrin Ochs, 27, grabbed a .25-caliber handgun from his garage, invited his brother, Dan, to his apartment at 916 N. Ella about 1:40 a.m., and threatened to kill him, deputies said. Dan Ochs refused Darrin’s request to come over and called 911.

Deputies said Darrin Ochs fired one shot into the air outside the apartment complex when they arrived. Darrin Ochs then leveled the gun at Deputy Steve Stevens, forcing the deputy behind a fence, deputies said.

Stevens ordered Darrin Ochs to drop the gun several times, but Darrin Ochs refused, Deputy Jeff Tower said.

Darrin Ochs continued to hold deputies at bay and demanded to talk to his brother. Stevens gave him a cellular phone.

After an unsuccessful attempt by Darrin Ochs to reach his brother, Stevens approached the man to retrieve the phone. Instead, the deputy charged Darrin Ochs and tackled him.

Several deputies rushed to help Stevens overpower Darrin Ochs, who was charged with first-degree assault.

Deputies said Darrin Ochs fired one shot into the ground during the struggle. No one was injured.

Two charged with forgery

Two people were arrested and charged with several crimes, including forgery, after deputies stopped them for a traffic violation in the Valley.

Deputies said Casey D. Beckham, 20, was driving a car with allegedly defective equipment when they stopped him at Fourth and University on Sunday night. After checking the records for Beckham and his passenger, Carrie M. Sarff, 24, deputies discovered that both had outstanding warrants and arrested them.

A purse, wallet and several checkbooks that did not belong to Beckham or Sarff were found when deputies searched Beckham’s car, Tower said.

Deputies determined that the purse, wallet and at least one of the checkbooks were stolen from cars at the East Sprague Cinemas earlier Sunday evening. Beckham and Sarff also wrote several checks at Valley businesses, Tower said.

Beckham and Sarff were also charged with vehicle prowling, possession of stolen property and forgery.

A third person in the car was not charged.

Beckham, who gave his address as 918 N. Ella, and Sarff, who told deputies she lived at 1420 E. 16th, were booked into the Spokane County Jail.

CV building smoky after fire

A fire in a maintenance van parked inside a shop building connected to Central Valley School District’s administrative center filled the office building with smoke.

Fire broke out Tuesday in a carpenter’s mobile workshop van parked inside the maintenance shop and activated the overhead sprinkler system before Spokane Valley Fire District firefighters extinguished the blaze at 19307 E. Cataldo

The van was totaled, but another van parked close by received only smoke damage. The workshop sustained heavy water and smoke damage.

An employee of Sonitrol, the district’s security company, discovered the fire about 2 a.m.

None of the administrative offices was closed as a result of the fire.

Fire damages car

A pop and then fire was how Valley resident John Tobo described a fire that damaged his car on Sunday afternoon.

Flames shot from under the hood of Tobo’s 1984 Buick Regal about 12:10 p.m. while he was on the westbound on-ramp of Interstate 90 at Argonne Road.

Damage was estimated at $1,000.

, DataTimes