Spokane police officer shoots armed suspect after car chase

A 34-year-old Spokane man was in critical condition late Saturday after he was shot by a Spokane police officer following a car chase on the North Side.

Police said Christopher Tracy Felch pointed a handgun at one officer before another officer shot him several times about 5:30 p.m. in the 1600 block of West Nora Avenue, near Maple Street.

Felch was at a local hospital, awaiting surgery.

Assistant Police Chief Jim Nicks, who was on the scene shortly after the shooting, declined to release the name of the officer who shot the suspect.

Police received a domestic violence call around 5:20 p.m., according to a police news release. Police said Felch reportedly assaulted his girlfriend’s brother at a family gathering about 1 ½ blocks away from where the pursuit ended.

Witnesses said that after a struggle, the man left and returned with a semiautomatic handgun, police said. He left in a blue Chevrolet S10 pickup truck, and police were notified he was armed.

An officer spotted the truck at 5:32 p.m. and tried to stop it, the report said. Felch tried to drive away, and officers quickly forced his truck into a tree on West Nora about a minute later, police said.

“At that time, the suspect pulled out a handgun and pointed it toward one of the officers,” Nicks said. “Another officer fired three to five shots and hit him at least two to three times.

“Fortunately, the suspect did not get a chance to get a round off,” Nicks said.

One man in the neighborhood, who did not give his name, said he heard one gunshot followed by four in succession seconds later.

Medics transported Felch to a hospital and had to stabilize him before he could undergo surgery, police said.

The investigation involving the officer is under way and will continue in conjunction with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, following department protocol. An officer involved in a shooting is routinely placed on administrative leave during the investigation.

“During a shooting such as this, the adrenalin is going,” Nicks said. “There’s a threat factor that needs to be stopped, and officers responded to that and officers will continue to respond to the threat until the threat has been neutralized.”

Police said Felch has two criminal convictions, including one for possession of drugs.