Spokane7
58°
September 17, 2010 in City
Deputy shoots, injures man north of Spokane
A Spokane County Sheriff’s deputy shot a man late Thursday while investigating an earlier shooting in a quiet neighborhood near the Little Spokane River.
Sean P. Houlihan, 37, is expected to survive his gunshot wound, which investigators say was inflicted after he opened fire on two sheriff’s deputies near the intersection of Brentwood Drive and Cincinnati Street in north Spokane County.
The Washington State Patrol is investigating the shooting with detectives from the Spokane Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office.
The deputies, whose names have not been released, were not injured.
Investigators have not determined which deputies’ shots struck Houlihan, said Trooper Troy Briggs, spokesman for the State Patrol.
Each deputy gave a “tactical interview” about what happened to help investigators gather evidence, but, under sheriff’s office policy, neither will be interviewed extensively until next week, Briggs said.
Deputies were called to a home in the 900 block of East Brentwood Drive just before 11 p.m. Thursday for a report of shots fired and a fight between two men.
Houlihan’s girlfriend was upstairs with her child when she heard gunshots in the basement and fled the home. She dropped the child off with a friend and returned to talk to deputies, Briggs said.
The suspected gunman, Houlihan, had left in a maroon Dodge pickup with a trailer, but he returned while deputies were talking to his girlfriend and the alleged victim, Briggs said.
Houlihan refused orders to drop his gun and instead opened fire, according to WSP. The deputies returned fire, striking Houlihan once.
Houlihan is under police guard at a downtown Spokane hospital and faces three counts of first-degree assault.
Records show Houlihan and his girlfriend, Rebecca Froelich, live at 909 E. Brentwood Dr.
He’s lived in New York, Western Washington and Montana and has worked as a flooring installer.
Human trafficking suspects released 
opiemuyo on September 17 at 7:58 a.m.
(eating popcorn waiting for the first cop-hater to comment….)
misjustice on September 17 at 8:02 a.m.
Popcorn? Buttered?
GaryP on September 17 at 8:03 a.m.
Steve- you might be waiting a while because most of the cop-haters aren’t out of bed yet. When you live in your mom’s basement and/or on welfare, you don’t have an alarm clock to get up to.
misjustice on September 17 at 8:08 a.m.
Okay. Here we go!
lewis8457 on September 17 at 8:08 a.m.
come on down all the piglets ready to bash the populace. showing your true colors a bit early aren’t you guys? Mommy not up yet?
dialectica on September 17 at 9:04 a.m.
To those predicting an avalanche of anti-police comments on this story:
That’s very sad.
Although there may be some unfortunately callous remarks on both sides of this conflict before it’s over, this community can readily spot the HUGE difference between a law enforcement officer apparently returning fire on a trigger happy assailant while in the course of investigating a report of shots fired, and the shooting of a 74-year-old man on his own property with a pistol in his waistband while writing tickets in an unmarked police car and ostensibly watching for neighborhood vandals.
Thank you to all who put their lives on the line for this community. We will continue to support you but we also will continue to ask legitimate questions when tragedy strikes.
reservedparking on September 17 at 9:05 a.m.
Bad guy shoots first and misses.
LEO returns fire. Hits what he’s aiming at.
Righteous shoot. Glad the officer is OK.
There’s nothing to see here. Move along.
zelda on September 17 at 9:14 a.m.
This one looks clear-cut to me. Today I only want to complain about the weather.
soccermomsusie on September 17 at 9:14 a.m.
I think police officers now have been educated that it is impolite to shoot someone until they have been shot at first. Likewise, the perpetrator/victim knows now that he should miss with his first shot, otherwise the police officer might not have a chance to shoot back.
I am glad to see that there is now a protocol and everybody is abiding by it. This is the Spokane that our forefathers envisioned - one very polite city by the river.
Houlihan was the name of the shooter. Is that a Mexican name? Almost sounds Iranian.
W again in 2010!
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!!
bszottlinger on September 17 at 9:25 a.m.
Soccermomsusie:
IRA!
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on September 17 at 9:49 a.m.
LOL susie.
I’m pretty sure “Sean” is a shortened version of “Hussein.” Send him to Guantanamo!
madscientist on September 17 at 9:59 a.m.
soccermom, a person’s name has nothing to do with their actions. what are you saying. All Iranians are trigger happy cop shooters? get real.
spokanada on September 17 at 10:17 a.m.
Actually, us “cop haters” appreciate good police work. I don’t know why you would expect us to be critical of this encounter.
Unlike you koolaid drinkers we do not have blind faith in the local justice system. We have the ability to take off our blinders and are not afraid to speak out when we feel like our fellow citizens have been abused.
andjusticeforall on September 17 at 10:28 a.m.
wow why in most of soccermoms comments shes always bitching about other races? hopefully she/he(s) not really a mom teaching ones children all that hatred, i read a prev comment from her on another article where she was asking got to forgive “non english speaking people” …. face it “susie” NO ONE wants to hear your annoying voice so shut up
andjusticeforall on September 17 at 10:29 a.m.
*ment asking GOD
spokanada on September 17 at 10:48 a.m.
actually, most of us look forward to soccermom’s comments. Well at least those of us with half a brain.
misjustice on September 17 at 10:58 a.m.
andjustice; soccermom uses satire to highlight ludicrous and idiotic situations. It’s all tongue in cheek…
spokanecougar on September 17 at 11:13 a.m.
soccermom is not doing this tongue in cheek. Click her screen name and read all her old comments. That is truly how she thinks, which is very sad.
SpokaneLiberal on September 17 at 11:21 a.m.
Seems like a righteous shoot on surface. 20 comments in and not a single cop hater. It makes you think. The people incorrectly accused of being cope haters are actually people who see a situation that is wrong and speak out. The real question is about those who ALWAYS come down on the side of law enforcement. Those are the real “cop haters” (In addition to being people without logic and reason). because if they didn’t hate cops they wouldn’t support the bad ones, only the good.
Albert on September 17 at 11:31 a.m.
Professional protocol = by the book response. How about that! Good to read of some professionalism.
cpd805 on September 17 at 12:07 p.m.
I actually did not expect any cop-bashing comments, even from some of the most ardent police non-supporters. It’s easier to support a shooting when the officer was actually fired upon. That said however….it is in no way a responsibility for an officer, or anyone else for that matter, to have to wait to be shot at before being able to react and defend themselves. Thinking that is just plain ludicrous.
Visit odmp.org … it chronicles all officers killed in the line of duty. It also gives a brief summary of what happened. Some of you may find it informative.
cdspokesreader on September 17 at 12:14 p.m.
@spokanecougar - And I bet you think Stephen Colbert is a staunch republican
SpokaneLiberal on September 17 at 12:16 p.m.
While you don’t have to wait to be fired upon when you are fired upon people generally back you. This is what we see in this case, but for those who said we would see a bunch of “cop haters” because it was a shooting it isn’t consistent with the facts.
People are generally rational, they can tell the difference between a righteous shoot (like this appears to be), a questionable shoot (Creach), and a downright criminal shoot (Shonto Pete). It doesn’t make someone a cop hater when they lose respect for law enforcement or question them in either of the latter two scenarios. It does bring into question people who think that law enforcement is above reproach even in the latter two scenarios.
Thoreau on September 17 at 1:01 p.m.
I think soccermomsusie is that kid in the room who likes to say things that she/he doesn’t really feel, just to get a rise out of people. Unfortunately, many people take the bait. I would guess that soccermomsusie is not a mom, not a female, and not a soccer fan. Instead, I imagine him, that’s right, HIM, as some punk that gets his kicks reading these blogs, and when things get dull, spews racist rhetoric. So, perhaps we should ignore soccermomsusie, so he can get back to playing video games, and viewing internet porn.
spokanecougar on September 17 at 1:38 p.m.
cdspokesreader - yes, I also think the sky is green, white is black and day is night.
lewis8457 on September 17 at 2:15 p.m.
he shot at the cop first i certainly don’t blame the cop for shooting back. good to see neither officer was injured.
Me so called cop hater get a bad rap because I see conspiracy when innocent people get killed by police and after the so called investigation the cop walks free and keeps his job so he can kill again.
I simply want the same law to govern us all. And I want to make it alive to court of law to pay for my sins not die at a officers hand.
maria on September 17 at 2:33 p.m.
You mean to tell me this hasn’t been greenlit on fark.com yet?
eagleproducer on September 17 at 4:18 p.m.
I’m only upset that the guys shooting at the pigs missed.
I just got out of bed, by the way. And off Steve’s mom.
eagleproducer on September 17 at 4:22 p.m.
I can’t believe people don’t get suz’s takes as satire. The consistency of her posts points me towards that conclusion and not in the direction of believing she’s just another in the legions of right wing whack jobs that call our fair region home.
Scoutster on September 17 at 4:25 p.m.
Spoketucky’s comment aside, this seems to be a fairly rational group of comments. No cop hating, no public hating.
So, maybe the cops and the folks who take pride in defending them on this board can answer the question I keep asking and nobody can answer:
Why is it not a good idea for a police officer involved in a shooting to take a blood/drug test after a critical incident, such as discharging a weapon?
Ron_the_Cop on September 17 at 5:16 p.m.
I’m I reading this right that the WSP is investigating this OIS? Protocol would dictate that SPD should be the lead agency.
Could it be that Sheriff Knezovich is not happy with Chief Kirkpatrick and how they handled the Creach shooting?
D Statler on September 17 at 5:40 p.m.
I was very impressed to turn on the tube this morning and see a WSP officer leading the investigation on this shooting! Thanks to all the good Deputies that strive to do things right.Please don’t wait to be shot first. Just keep exercising good judgement and the GOLDEN RULE! Maybe police yourselves if possible!
Thank You
Mr_Bloggy on September 17 at 10:00 p.m.
The critics are so scared of being called a cop hater by the cop lovers they miss the obvious.
If Sheriff’s Deputies will park a hollowpoint in the heart of a Pastor and businessman when he’s trying to disarm, why would a common thug or violence prone individual think he should disarm when directed? If you’re gonna catch a hot one, and you’re not a pastor or upstanding community member, might as well go down fighting.
Mr_Bloggy on September 17 at 10:01 p.m.
Note: “might as well go down fighting” was to represent the thought patterns of bad guys. Me, I’ll obey em and sue em later if they violate my rights or brutalize me, or my estate will.
lewis8457 on September 17 at 10:36 p.m.
Mr. Bloggy I think that will be a major problem down the road not just with the criminal element but with the common guy. The thought if i am going down i am going down shooting is a basic human instinct it is called survival. and the cops dont understand or care people can only be scared so much until they turn into wild attack dogs and then watch out.
lewis8457 on September 17 at 10:37 p.m.
Haven’t heard anymore from Steve maybe he choked on a kernel.
Thayne on September 18 at 12:10 a.m.
I don’t hate GOOD cops, just the dishonest, lying and corrupt ones who commit a crime and get their guild to cover up for them. I’m glad neither deputy was injured, but wish their aim was a little better so we taxpayers wouldn’t have to pay for this idiots hospital, jail, trial and prison costs.
TOOBAD2 on September 23 at 8:43 a.m.
the head lines say ;
Deputy shoots, injures man north of Spokane ,how far north of spokane was the man? must of been a long way since he was just winged. next time aim better or get a bigger gun.
Sadbuttrue on September 24 at 7:27 a.m.
It turns out the cops were lying.
The man never fired a shot, and apparently when the deputies were confronted by the total lack of supporting physical evidence, they suddenly “recalled” that he had not shot at the police after all.