Patrol car strikes fleeing suspect

Spokane police accidentally caught a man suspected of robbing the downtown Nordstrom on Monday evening.

A passing patrol car struck the alleged robber as he darted across Main Avenue shortly before 5 p.m. while being chased by a Nordstrom security officer, said Major Crimes Sgt. Mark Griffiths.

The suspect, identified as Gavin D. Wolf, 24, suffered a leg injury and was taken to a local hospital. “It was completely coincidental. (Nordstrom) hadn’t called us yet,” Griffiths said.

Wolf, who was wanted on a Department of Corrections warrant, was expected to be booked into jail on a robbery charge after being released from the hospital. Although the robber never displayed a weapon, he used force when confronted by a security guard, police said, fleeing with a bag of clothing and other items found near Wolf at the accident scene.

The police car was driven by Officer Joe Denton. Griffiths said Denton and the Nordstrom security officer reported that Wolf was outside the crosswalk at Lincoln Street, which had a “Don’t Walk” sign at the time he was hit.

Jonathan Brunt