Injured man ID’d, may have fallen
Spokane Police Monday released the name of a man found Saturday with severe head injuries on Wall Street under the Interstate 90 overpass, saying it appears his injuries were the result of a fall.
Richard Francis Barrett, 48, who lives near the area, remains on life support in critical condition after surgery over the weekend, police spokesman Dick Cottam said in a news release.
As of Monday, detectives had not found any indication that Barrett was a victim of assault or robbery and believe he may have fallen, Cottam said.
The person who called 911 left before officers arrived. Detectives would like that person to contact police again, Cottam said.
Medics took Barrett to a local hospital before officers arrived. The 911 caller is not considered a suspect; detectives simply want to learn more about Barrett’s condition when he was found, Cottam said.
Big step today for Riverfront Park fountain
Today is a big day in construction for a new play fountain in Riverfront Park.
A 30-foot central ring is scheduled to be trucked into downtown Spokane and installed at the fountain at Spokane Falls Boulevard and Howard Street.
Sculptor Harold Balazs, who fashioned the artistic elements for the fountain, will be on hand for installation of the ring some 24 feet above the base of the structure.
Already, the mechanical vault, a paved fountain courtyard and sculpted columns are in place. Work is expected to be completed on the $1.5 million fountain at the end of this month, parks officials said. The project is a cooperative effort of the Spokane parks department and Rotary Club 21, which is lending its name to the Rotary fountain.
Overhead jets will send water arching skyward from the ring and the water will drop in a soft waterfall at the center while thin films of water will flow down five columns that support the upper ring.
Flow jets will emit swimming-pool quality water in a steady flow or in patterns. Some of the water will emerge from ground level as well.
Law enforcement’s night out is tonight
Spokane Police, sheriff’s deputies and neighborhood policing organizations will spend tonight celebrating their partnerships and holding gatherings throughout the area.
More than 100 block parties aim to answer questions about the COPS programs and to remind neighbors that sometimes they can be the best eyes and ears watching the city’s streets.
“People need to realize most burglaries occur during daylight hours, and take just a few minutes,” said Marilyn Saunders, the director of the Spokane COPS program. “Neighbors keeping an eye on one another’s property reduces the likelihood of burglaries.”
Members of the police department will travel to the various parties to answer questions and talk about crime-fighting efforts in their neighborhoods.
Contact local COPS and SCOPE substations for locations and times for events.
Felon faces new charges after traffic stop
A Spokane felon suspected of possessing an illegal weapon and methamphetamine packaged for sale was arrested during a Spokane Valley traffic stop Sunday.
Spokane Valley police said Jody L. Wallette possessed several small bags of methamphetamine and a revolver when the car in which he was riding was pulled over for faulty taillights. A prior felony made possession of the revolver illegal for Wallette. Police also found $1,020 rolled into tight tubes and bound together. Wallette, 18, was booked into jail on charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and first degree unlawful possession of a firearm, according a police report.
The car’s driver, Joseph P. Brian, 28, of Butte was cited and arrested for driving with a suspended license, defective taillights, no insurance and no vehicle registration. A third man in the car, Roger Killsnight, 43, also of Montana, was cited for not wearing a seat belt.
Kralicek thanks community for support
Coeur d’Alene Police Officer Mike Kralicek thanked various groups for their support and donations in a statement released Monday.
Kralicek is recovering from an almost-fatal bullet shot by a DUI suspect that sent him into a two-week coma, caused a stroke and damaged his spinal cord last December.
He thanked the Spokane Police Department’s SWAT team for donating wages they earned as extras on the set of a movie being produced by North by Northwest, which also gave a donation.
He also thanked Del Taco’s owners and patrons, who participated in a fund-raiser at the restaurant, which included an auction for Gonzaga basketball game tickets and a donation of a portion of the restaurant’s proceeds for a day. Owners Tom and Shannon Page’s father was a law enforcement officer in Oregon, and Shannon was a volunteer firefighter for five years in that city as well.
“Officer Mike Kralicek, wife Carrie, and daughters Amanda and Alexis thank all who have supported them with generous donations of money, services and well wishes,” said the statement, which was released by Kralicek’s former co-worker and the family’s spokesman, Don Jiran. “Officer Kralicek is still making progress in his rehabilitation and maintains he will never give up working as hard as he can to get well.”