In brief: Two officers injured after chase Monday

Two Spokane police officers suffered minor injuries Monday night in a chase of a suspected drunken driver.

Stephen Patrick Link, 46, is accused of hitting Sgt. Kurt Vigessa and Officer Ron Van Tassel in their heads after he ran from his car near the Rosauers grocery store in Browne’s Addition.

Sgt. Tom Lee shocked Link with his Taser as Link “was still violently fighting” with police after he arrived to help, according to a news release. Police found a bag of methamphetamine, more than $7,000 and suspected stolen gift cards on the ground next to Link.

Vigessa attempted to stop Link for suspected drunken driving near North Ash Street and West Grace Avenue, but he fled. Cpl. Shane Oien deployed spike strips that disabled the car, which came to a stop near Rosauers.

Vigessa and Van Tassel were treated and released at a local hospital. Link was treated at the scene by medics, then transported to a local hospital “for back pain resulting from a self-described pre-existing injury,” police said. He’s now in jail on charges of attempting to elude police, possession of a controlled substance with attempt to deliver, driving under the influence and two counts of third-degree assault.

Vandals damage Rockford City Park

Vandals caused thousands of dollars worth of damage at the Rockford City Park Sunday, in part by using leftover spray paint that had been used for the small town’s Lilac Parade float.

“Nearly every structure and fixture” in the park was damaged, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

The vandals took spray paint from a building in the park where volunteers had been working on the city of Rockford’s float.

City employees spent the day Monday cleaning and repairing damage. A Rockford Public Works employee estimated the damage at thousands of dollars between repair and replacement of broken items.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.

Copper stolen from Valley business

About $40,000 worth of copper was stolen from a business in Spokane Valley last weekend.

A manager of a building in the 4600 block of East Sprague Avenue told a sheriff’s deputy on Monday that he noticed insulation on the floor on Saturday but assumed it was because of the age of the building.

But when he returned on Monday, he realized all copper wiring inside the walls and ceiling of the building had been stolen. All copper piping in the building was missing as well.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.