Liberty Lake officer gets assist from Good Samaritan

A citizen came to the rescue of Liberty Lake Police Officer Brad Deines Saturday while Deines was fighting with a man who did not want to be arrested and was upset with police in general.

A witness called police at 3 p.m. to report drug deal in the area of Mission Avenue and Harvard Road, said Police Chief Brian Asmus. One person walked south and the other person reportedly drove off. Deines saw a man walking down the road and stopped to talk to him, Asmus said. The man, identified as 19-year-old Ryan P. Crigger, refused to follow commands and was confrontational, Asmus said. Crigger is apparently related to James Edward Rogers, a Spokane man who was shot and killed during a confrontation with Spokane police in September. “He had some choice words for the officer,” Asmus said.

Crigger reportedly fought with Deines, who tried unsuccessfully to use a Taser on Crigger. “I think one probe missed,” Asmus said. Deines tried to shock Crigger twice more by touching the Taser to his body but it did not seem to have an effect and both men fell down a nearby embankment. Deines called for help from the Spokane Valley Police Department and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, but it was a citizen who arrived to help first.

After Crigger was handcuffed, a plastic bag of Oxycodone was found on the ground where the two had struggled, Asmus said. Crigger was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance and third-degree assault on a law enforcement officer. Deines was kicked in the head a couple of times during the fight, Asmus said. “He did have some pretty good bruising on his arms,” he said. “He’s fine. He was back to work that same day.”

The rest of the week from Oct. 3 to 10 went more smoothly, with several arrests made for driving with a suspended license. A 41-year-old Newman Lake man was arrested for driving under the influence and hit-and-run property damage at 8 p.m. on Oct. 5 at Harvard and Mission. The man was driving north and hit a concrete barrier under the Interstate 90 overpass, but did not stop.

During the week officers handed out five citations for license and plates required, seven for failure to show proof of liability insurance and 12 for speeding. Additional citations were given for operating a vehicle with defective equipment, failure to dim headlights, defective muffler, improper lane usage and speeding in a construction zone.