Burglary Suspect Threatens Officer

A suspected house burglar threatened a police officer with a knife and dropped it only after the officer pointed her gun at him, a Spokane Police Department spokesman said.

Officers were checking out the 5000 block of North Belt after getting a report that a man was trying to force open a window of a house Saturday morning.

Shawn Westlie, 29, was spotted in an alley north of Queen between Cannon and Elm streets. Westlie ran when he saw the patrol car. He was ordered to stop and did so. But when he turned around, he had a knife in his hand and started walking toward the officer, said Dick Cottam, police spokesman.

The officer, whose name was not released, pointed her gun at Westlie. He then dropped the knife but continued to move toward the officer. He eventually lay down on the ground as he was told.

Westlie was booked into jail for attempted residential burglary, obstructing an officer and possession of burglary tools.

, DataTimes