Spokane7
58°
July 13, 2009 in City
Officers in fatal shooting identified
From left to right, Jeff McCollough, a nine-year veteran of the Spokane Police Department; Kellee Gately, an 18-year veteran; and Jason Curtis, who was hired in 2001 after five years at the Reno Police Department, have been identified as the three police officers involved in a fatal shooting in northeast Spokane on July 10, 2009.
(Full-size photo)(All photos)
The fatal shooting of a man armed with a butcher knife Friday in northeast Spokane involved three senior police officers with a combined 35 years of experience in the Spokane Police Department.
Kellee Gately, Jeff McCollough and Jason Curtis are on paid administrative leave after Jason M. Poss, 23, was shot and killed Friday in the 1800 block of East Courtland Avenue.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office released the officers’ names Monday. The office is investigating the incident, which is standard when city police officers are involved in a fatal shooting.
Officers Ray Harding and Paul Aspaas, who witnessed the shooting, also are on paid leave, said Dave Chandler, the city’s human resources director.
On Courtland Avenue near the scene of the shooting, family members wrote messages on a memorial for Poss, a 2004 Rogers High School graduate.
“A piece of my heart died with you. I will love you for eternity,” said one signed “Your Mom.”
Poss’ death by police gunfire came after he broke into a woman’s home, beat her with a skateboard and stabbed her pit bull, Molly, which survived, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Poss left the home and encountered the officers on East Courtland, where he lunged with a knife at one officer in a patrol car, police said.
Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan would not say which officer was in the car and which two returned fire.
Gately has been a hostage negotiator for 18 years and joined the department in September 1990. She’s been a tactical team member for six years and teaches crisis intervention team classes for the agency, the Sheriff’s Office said.
McCollough was hired in August 1999 and works as a field training officer.
Curtis joined the department in August 2001 after five years at the Reno Police Department and is a member of the tactical team and chemical agent response team.
Moose head smashes through Cadillac driven by boy, 14 
hines_don on July 13 at 2:29 p.m.
Why dont the SPD have beanbag guns like other cities?
RWF1984 on July 13 at 2:40 p.m.
This story is making the police look like the bad people in this situation. I understand why the media blows it out of context to get sales/ratings.
As for the beanbag gun, the officers did not have enough time to prepare themselves with the beanbag gun because the 23 year old was going after the responding officer and the officer did what what he was trained to do as in if his life is being threatened he can protect himself by firing at the suspect (specially since the suspect has already was suspected of murder!). Well I have no empathy for the suspect for being shot at for what suspect has done and was trying to do.
hines_don on July 13 at 2:57 p.m.
Dont kid yourself RWF, Didnt you say you understood the media? They lie too.Believe me,this young man did not have to die. They could have handled this situation differently.
RWF1984 on July 13 at 3:21 p.m.
they may blow it out of context, but they cant lie or put down false information like that. What I meant by the media is that they tell it to where it can sound like the officers were in the wrong. I believe the officers did what they had to do.
Lets put you in the situation, what would you do if a suspected murderer was coming after you?
Would you have enough time to get your bean bag gun?
(That’s if they even have that weapon in their vehicle)
Or, would you pull out your gun and protect yourself?
Or, would you try restrain the suspect that you have no knowledge on what they may be carrying with them?
(Shoot I can even hide a gun, knife, or something the police officer might not see!)
Yeah it could have gotten handled better, but how? What would you do different? It is a lot different thinking about it in front of your computer rather than a suspected killer coming after you! (Like they say “in the heat of the moment”) Can you honestly think of a better way with little time on your hands or are you bias against the police?
ChefGus/ John Olsen on July 14 at 6:07 a.m.
Well… I would shoot too… but one round to the core or in the back and he was down…. so one who is reasonable might question the other five rounds pumped into his body…. what’s with that….He likely could have been disarmed without being shot too.. with a taser…. or simple martial arts move… Judgment call… and it is hard to second guess the first officer’s use of second force… not so hard to question the second and third and fourth …. john
yumagene on July 14 at 1:50 p.m.
This is what happens when you bring a knife to a gun fight.
Or shoot a K9 officer.
Or wield a plastic soda pop bottle to fend off the truncheon.
Or are running for your life at 3 a.m. in Peaceful Valley.
Bob_Knows on July 14 at 7:14 p.m.
How many thousands of our $$$ has the SPD spent on Tazers?
How many people have been tortured by Tazers in Spokane?
How many times have we been told that the torture of drivers is a small price to pay for eliminating their normal “shoot to kill” response?
How many times does an unconscious man need to be shot in the back while lying face down on the ground?
How long will the good citizens of Spokane put up with these violent criminal gun thugs in blue suits?
How many dead men will it take for the people of Spokane to demand change from Mayor Whiner and the corruption in City Hall? .
How many good men will die before the people understand that too many people have died?
The answer is blowing in the wind.
Bob_Knows on July 14 at 7:20 p.m.
RWF1984 wrote, “This story is making the police look like the bad people…”
No, bro. The police ARE bad people. They are the antithesis of “free men.” They kill, beat up, rob, and terrorize the citizens to keep corrupt politicians in power. This story is, once again, clearly reporting that fact. We don’t need them. We don’t want them. And we would all be a lot better off if they were rounded up and ridden out of town on a rail.
KrazyLaRosa on July 27 at 3:33 p.m.
I heard that the police DID use a tazer and the guy kept coming towards them with the knife.
I too would shoot too!