In Brief

State association honors Whitman’s Principal Lund

Whitman Elementary School Principal Bev Lund has been named the state’s elementary principal of the year by the Association of Washington School Principals.

Lund, principal of Whitman since 1996, “fundamentally transformed” the school’s culture, award officials said in a press release.

The selection committee cited three main accomplishments: intervention for high-risk students, training all staff to deliver special education services to complement special education teachers’ work and creating a cohesive and collaborative environment among teachers and staff within the school.

Under Lund’s watch Whitman was named a National Title I Distinguished School for 2010, State Schools of Distinction in 2010 and 2007, and the school earned one of the five State Title I Academic Achievement Awards for math in 2010.

“It is the blessing of my life to be here at Whitman,” Lund said after learning of the award, adding that she loves working with the students.

A federal raid at a northeast Spokane home Wednesday occurred after a retired police detective observed a known felon buying ammunition.

Donna R. Perry, alias Douglas Perry, 60, is in jail on a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm after she was arrested at her home near North Crestline Street and East Empire Avenue.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began investigating Perry after the detective contacted them March 12 and said he’d observed Perry buying ammo and a pistol magazine at the White Elephant store, 12614 E. Sprague Ave., in Spokane Valley, according to court documents. Store employees described Perry as a regular customer and she frequently is seen at gun shows carrying a large bag.

Agents identified Perry in part through a photo the retired detective took of her blue 1992 Geo Metro.

They learned from the Washington Department of Licensing that the owner had changed his name from Douglas Perry to Donna Perry in 2000 and had changed his gender from male to female. Police compared a driver’s license photo of Perry to the photo provided by the detective.

Perry has felony convictions for possession of an unregistered firearm (pipe bombs) in 1988 and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition in 1995.

Investigators say several officers shot at fugitive

Two Post Falls police officers and an Idaho State Police corporal fired shots at a fugitive early Monday after a chase, investigators announced Thursday.

Justin Earl Nicholas Todd, 33, died from multiple gunshot wounds after he struck Cpl. Michael Thomas Keys with his car, and Keys and Officers Aaron Ogle and Bradley Johnson shot him, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department.

Investigators have not yet said how many times Todd was shot.

Keys, Ogle, Johnson and an Idaho State Police trooper were pursuing Todd on a felony warrant when the 20-minute chase that began about 2:20 a.m. ended with Todd skidding to a stop in a yard at the end of West St. Estephe Court, a residential area in west Hayden.

The four law enforcement officials got out of their cars and were approaching Todd’s vehicle when Todd backed up his vehicle, then pulled forward and struck Keys, the Sheriff’s Department said.

Investigators are awaiting autopsy results before releasing how many times Todd was shot, as well as his toxicology reports.

Family thanks police for thwarting suicide try

Three Spokane Valley police officers saved the life of a suicidal man Wednesday.

Officers Griffin Criswell, Wally Loucks and Richard Johnson found the man attempting to hang himself at his Spokane Valley home after the man called 911 and said he wanted to kill himself.

The officers got the victim down and began CPR. They found a pulse and the man was transported to a hospital, where his family said he’s alert and conscious “with a positive demeanor,” according to the Spokane Valley Police Department.

“They extended their deepest gratitude and thanks to officers Criswell, Loucks and Johnson for their quick response and heroism during this traumatic event,” according to a news release.

The National Suicide Lifeline is available at (800) 273-TALK (8255). More information on suicide prevention is available through the Spokane Regional Health District.