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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In brief: In Brief: Pedestrian hit by patrol car dies

From Staff Reports

A Spokane man who died after being struck by a police car has been identified as John A. Van Curler.

Van Curler, 52, died at a hospital after he was hit at the intersection of Monroe Street and Montgomery Avenue just after 10 p.m. Sunday. A Spokane police officer responding to a call in his marked patrol car struck Van Curler as he was crossing the street, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the crash with the police and Washington State Patrol.

The officer’s name was being withheld, and investigators have not said if he had his emergency light activated or if Van Curler was obeying pedestrian signals.

Van Curler’s brother, Jdon Van Curler, said the victim battled alcoholism and had been living with his stepmother and collecting aluminum cans for money. He was born in Spokane, graduated from Shadle Park High School and worked at Inland Empire Plating until the early 1990s, Van Curler said.

“Our heart goes out to the officer that was involved, because it obviously was not intentional or malicious,” Van Curler said. “It’s a terrible tragedy.”

Seized sheep, cats euthanized

Fifteen cats and one sheep seized in an animal hoarding raid in eastern Spokane County over the weekend were euthanized because they were in extremely poor health, animal protection officials said Monday.

The cats were suffering from upper respiratory infections and pneumonia and were exposed to distemper. They were among 123 animals taken in the Saturday raid at the home of Carol McMullen, 6204 N. Idaho Road.

McMullen had been convicted of 13 misdemeanor charges, including animal cruelty, stemming from a similar raid in 2004, according to news files. Carol McMullen was at the residence during the Saturday raid by officers of the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service and sheriff’s deputies armed with a search warrant.

Also taken in the raid were 27 goats, nine guinea pigs, six rabbits and dozens of chickens and ducks. In addition, officers found 76 dead animals on the property.

Crime Check call leads to arrests

Two burglary suspects were arrested early Monday after a watchful resident grew suspicious of two men who parked a car in her neighborhood.

Brian Keith Belton, 35, and Tracy K. Whiting, 44, were detained near West Marc Drive and North Pinecrest Drive in north Spokane County after a woman called Crime Check about 1:30 a.m. and said the men left a car suspiciously parked in the area.

Spokane County sheriff’s Deputies David Westlake and Thad Shultz found a suitcase with unopened mail for a nearby residence, as well as a walkie-talkie near the men. They also found a smashed window at a home that had been ransacked.

They believe Belton committed the burglary while Whiting waited outside, according the Sheriff’s Office. Both men were booked into jail for second-degree burglary.

Belton also was booked on a felony drug charge for a small amount of meth found in his shoe. 

In a news release, Sgt. Dave Reagan called the case “a scenario that would warm the heart of any Neighborhood Watch captain.”