Spokane7
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August 26, 2010 in City
Witness says security guard who was killed confronted group
A security officer doing his rounds in east Spokane was shot and killed Tuesday after a confrontation with a group of apartment residents sitting outside along their rear alley on the warm summer night.
George Hayek, 26, an officer for Securitas Security Services USA, died at the scene just before 11 p.m. He armed himself with a BB gun that looked like a semi-automatic handgun during the fatal confrontation.
The shooting occurred between a Pepsi bottling plant at 4014 E. Sprague Ave. and the Pacific Plaza Apartments, 4023 E. Pacific Ave.
A witness said Wednesday that the security guard pulled what appeared to be a weapon and was being the aggressor.
The guard reportedly worked at the Premera Blue Cross campus, a short distance to the west, according to employees of that company who received an e-mail notifying them of the death.
The witness – one of the persons relaxing at the rear of the apartments – said the guard came driving down the alley, and that he and others in the group feared the driver was involved in some kind of unsavory activity.
“Me and some friends were sitting at the picnic table out there and this car come by rolling real slow,” said the witness, who declined to give his name.
The area has crime problems, the witness said.
One of the residents yelled at the driver to take his business elsewhere, the witness said.
The uniformed security guard got out of his car and confronted the group. Words were exchanged, the witness said. They were separated by a chain-link fence running the length of the lot.
The guard returned to his vehicle and grabbed what appeared to be a semi-automatic weapon, police said in a news release. It turned out to be a BB gun that was made to look like a semi-automatic handgun, police said.
When the guard returned to confront the group, a friend of the witness pulled a gun in response to the threat and fired several rounds, striking and killing Hayek, police said. The shooter’s name was not released, and he was not arrested. An investigation is continuing, police said.
“It happened that fast,” the witness said, snapping his fingers.
The shooter then jumped the fence and started CPR, the witness said.
Two police officers arrived and took over CPR until medics made it to the scene, police said.
“One minute you are sitting there minding your own business and the next thing you’re smelling gunpowder,” the witness said.
Hayek had been employed with Securitas since May. A vast majority of the 100,000 Securitas employees nationwide are not armed, a company spokeswoman said.
Returning farmland to a state of nature 
spokanada on August 26 at 10:11 a.m.
A late entry for the 2010 Darwin Awards?
kennyhuston on August 26 at 1:19 p.m.
Sad situation when a person loses their life, such as this one. My condolences to his family and friends. Please let it serve as an example of why people shouldn’t go flashing BB guns made to look like a real firearm - because you never know when someone’s got a REAL gun.
tardwhisperer on August 26 at 1:29 p.m.
Hey Lewis…..no comment on this? odd……
nitro71 on August 26 at 8:01 p.m.
He pulled his BB gun because they exchanged words? Darwin award for sure. This was a completely justified shooting.
Take_A_econd_Look on August 28 at 12:31 p.m.
The Spokesman Review and looks like most of those who have posted thus far are only taking the word of the “witnesses” as what happened. You people are passing judgement on a person that most of you have never met. I worked with this man, and work for their company.
Why hasn’t anyone asked why the shooter felt it necessary to shoot first when there was a chain link fence that separated the group from the obviously readily identifiable security guard? The shooter could have fled into the apartments.
Why would a security guard want to confront a group of unknown people in an alley?
Can anyone prove that the security guard actually produced the BB gun, or was it placed next to his body after the shooting? (other than taking the word of the “witnesses”)
If the group thought there was a drug deal about to happen, why didn’t someone call 911 and report it? Why did they feel it was necessary to confront the security guard?
Obviously many of you have never taken time to consider a more plausible alternative. I pray the shooter is arrested and charged to the fullest extent of the law. You deserve to be incarcerated for life.
(and YES the omission of the letter “S” is intentional)