In brief: Sheriff’s department, tribal police expand pact
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department and Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police Department expanded the cooperative law enforcement agreement that’s been in place since 2005.
Cross-deputized Kootenai County officers now have the additional ability to enforce tribal warrants on and off the reservation, just as their counterparts on the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police can enforce state warrants, the two agencies announced in a news release.
“It only makes good sense to work together,” said Maj. Ben Wolfinger, of the sheriff’s office.
The entire 14-person tribal police department has been certified by the Idaho Peace Officers Standards and Training academy, the release said. The agreement was a joint venture by the sheriff, tribal police, county prosecutor’s office and Coeur d’Alene tribal attorney.
Extortion suspect’s girlfriend faces charge
The girlfriend of a man accused of a botched bank extortion attempt has been arrested on a charge of conspiracy to commit robbery.
Cheryl A. Siekerman, 33, appeared in Spokane County Superior Court on Friday via video from the jail, where she was booked Thursday.
She’s accused of helping Donnell L. Winston, who police say called Inland Northwest Bank, 518 W. Francis Ave., on Oct. 14 and threatened to blow up five schools if he didn’t receive $10,000.
He asked for the money to be dropped off at 13th and Arthur – where his home is located. Police saw him talking on his cell phone on the porch, then watched him retrieve a package dropped off by an undercover detective.
Winston, 37, who was convicted of bank robbery in 2004, was arrested the night of the incident on a probation violation. He remains in jail.
Spokane police have recommended he be charged with attempted first-degree bank robbery, along with five bomb threat charges.
Man held in shooting near Sharp, Hamilton
A man who police say shot a Spokane man in both legs was arrested in Browne’s Addition early Friday by a federal fugitive task force.
Albert J. Reeves III, 19, is expected to appear in Superior Court on Monday on one count of first-degree assault.
Spokane police believe Reeves shot a 19-year-old man during an argument near Sharp Avenue and Hamilton Street about 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 5.
Surveillance photos showed the gunman, who was in a wheelchair, enter the Tesoro convenience store, 901 E. Sharp Ave., before the shooting. Reeves was identified as a suspect on Tuesday.
U.S. Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force arrested Reeves about 8:40 a.m. Friday in the 300 block of South Cannon Street.
His father, Albert J. Reeves Jr., is a former high school standout athlete and notorious criminal who won a $2.5 million lottery in 2000, then was arrested the next year in a drive-by shooting investigation.