Region in brief: Life term in porn case

A Spokane sex offender will spend the rest of his life in prison for his role in a child pornography enterprise that triggered a worldwide criminal investigation, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Warren King Mumpower, 65, was the last of seven defendants from across the country sentenced to a life term by Senior U.S District Judge Lacey Collier in Florida.

Mumpower was convicted in January of participating in a pornography ring that used complex pseudonyms and encrypted files to distribute more than 400,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse.

He was arrested in February 2008 by FBI agents who searched his home at 1429 E. Courtland Ave. Mumpower moved to Spokane in the 1980s from Florida, where he served prison time for child molestation.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Man inflicts flare burn

A woman suffered a 1-inch burn to her face early Tuesday when she was shot with a flare gun inside the Top Hat Tavern, 6412 N. Division St.

Police said the smell of powder was still evident when they arrived to the 1:30 a.m. call.

Witnesses said a man in his mid-20s was trying to talk to a woman at the bar but was being rude, so the victim and bartender tried to intervene.

The assailant became argumentative and drew a flare gun. He shot the woman from 5 to 7 feet away before fleeing the tavern with the gun. He was last seen headed north on Division Street in a red sport-utility vehicle, possibly a Ford Explorer, said Officer Tim Moses.

He was described as white, 6 feet tall and stocky. He has tattoos on his neck, including one with the word “Hillyard.” Bar patrons said he may go by the name of Zach.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.

Mike Prager

Chief caught speeding

Even the city’s top cop gets a lead foot sometimes.

Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick was ticketed by a Spokane County deputy sheriff over the weekend for driving 13 mph faster than the speed limit.

Kirkpatrick was heading to a picnic on Saturday in an unmarked car when she was pulled over on Upriver Drive.

“He told me I was speeding … I said, ‘Then you’ve gotta write me the ticket,’ ” Kirkpatrick told KHQ. “I didn’t give him an option to not write me a ticket.”

The ticket was for $154. Kirkpatrick apologized to the citizens of Spokane and the mayor, KHQ reported.

Staff reports