Wanted man arrested after fighting with officer
A Spokane Valley man wanted on three misdemeanor warrants was arrested on a felony charge Monday after fighting with a police officer.
Officer Jeff Thurman was doing surveillance on the suspect’s home at 917 N. Felts Road on Monday morning, Spokane Valley police spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said. When the officer attempted to take the suspect into custody, he resisted.
Thurman used his Taser to control the man, but it failed, and the man ran inside his home, Reagan said. The officer forced the door open, and the two began fighting. Several Spokane Valley officers were dispatched to help Thurman.
A Taser and pepper spray were used inside the home, and the man was arrested, Reagan said.
Steven Rocky Venziano, 29, was booked into Spokane County Jail on three warrants charging him with driving while suspended, and one for third-degree assault of an officer, Reagan said.
Three held on meth charges
Two men and a woman were arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine Saturday during three separate incidents.
Two arrests were made after vehicles were pulled over, and the third occurred after a caseworker discovered what appeared to be drugs in a parolee’s home, Reagan said.
About noon Saturday, officers went to Michael R. Brown’s home to examine a baggie found on the man’s nightstand by a caseworker, Reagan said. The 44-year-old, who lives at 10506 E. 10th Ave., was arrested after an officer determined it was meth.
About 5:40 p.m., an officer pulled over a woman in the area of Argonne and Montgomery after he discovered her license was suspended, Reagan said. A small amount of meth was found in a candy container. Nancy M. Davis, 28, was arrested for third-degree driving while suspended and a felony drug charge.
When she was booked into the jail, another small baggie of meth was found in her underclothes, Reagan said.
About 11:50 p.m., officers stopped a car with expired license plates, Reagan said. The passenger, Terri L. Bowman, 38, was wanted on outstanding warrants.
During the search after her arrest, police found two baggies of meth under the parking brake, Reagan said. The driver, Ricky Lee Wehrli, 39, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine.
These stars won’t twinkle
State, county and city law enforcement are doing extra patrols on Friday to bust drunken drivers.
The beefed-up patrols, called Night of 1,000 Stars, was named for the thousands of police badges and stars that will be on the roadway during that special night, Reagan said.
Extra patrols will be manned by Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol and police departments in Spokane Valley, Spokane, Airway Heights, Cheney, Medical Lake and Liberty Lake.
“Police want to remind everyone to drink responsibly or arrange for a designated driver to ferry partygoers safely home,” Reagan said. “Those that fail to heed the advice face the potential of arrest, prosecution and detention for the overindulgence.”
Thieves smash and grab
Thieves rammed a rollup door at a Spokane Valley auto body shop Sunday to steal expensive air-powered tools.
But they stole tools from only one employee’s work station, which likely means they were scared off by someone, Reagan said.
The tools stolen from Progress Auto Body, 225 N. Ella Road, were worth thousands of dollars, Reagan said.
Anyone with information is asked to call 242-8477.