Region in brief: Police say man was suicidal

Spokane Valley police shot and wounded a man they described as suicidal following a standoff Sunday.

The 55-year-old, whose name has not been released, was taken to a hospital with gunshot wounds, authorities said.

Officers responded to a home in the 11700 block of East Fairview Avenue about 3:45 p.m. for reports of a suicidal man, said Spokane police Officer Jennifer DeRuwe.

The man confronted officers in the backyard before exiting his front door armed with a weapon and threatening them, DeRuwe said.

The case is being investigated by the Spokane Police Department as part of a standard interdepartmental agreement regarding officer-involved shootings.

Fire damages Spokane house

An east Spokane home was heavily damaged by fire early Sunday but everyone made it out safely, authorities said.

The cause of the 4:04 a.m. fire at 4111 E. 8th Ave. remains under investigation by the Spokane Fire Department.

The front porch was ablaze when police and firefighters arrived at the scene, according to the Fire Department. Although the initial attack quickly extinguished the porch, firefighters discovered the flames had spread into the attic and throughout the structure, forcing crews to remain at the scene throughout the day looking for hidden hot spots, Battalion Chief Mike Inman said in a news release.

Worker’s body found in salt pile

LONGVIEW, Wash. – Searchers found the body of a missing worker at a chemical plant in Longview.

The body of 25-year-old Justin J. Florek was recovered early Sunday from a large salt pile at the Equa-Chlor plant, where emergency workers had been looking for Florek since Friday.

Deputy Cowlitz County Coroner Brett Dundas said his office, the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Labor and Industries are investigating the death.