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

In brief: Death in jail booking area ruled homicide

The death of a 33-year-old man in the booking area of the Spokane County Jail in February has been ruled a homicide.

The Spokane County medical examiner determined the cause of Christopher J. Parker’s death was a methamphetamine overdose, aggravated by the restraints jail staff used and by Parker’s diabetes, according to a news release. The restraints and the diabetes were “contributing to death but not causing death directly or independently,” the release said.

Because the restraints contributed to the death, the medical examiner classified it as a homicide, the release said.

Parker was pronounced dead Feb. 24 about two hours after calling 911 to say he was diabetic and had ingested methamphetamine. A Spokane police officer called paramedics, who checked on Parker and cleared him to be transported to the jail on an outstanding warrant.

Parker reportedly became uncooperative, and corrections deputies used a Taser to shock him and placed him in a restraint chair.

Jennifer Pignolet

Commissioners reinstate Adams

Kootenai County public defender John Adams won’t be fired after all, commissioners decided Tuesday.

Saying two of the three commissioners had been unaware of Adams’ cancer diagnosis during the previous vote, they reversed a resolution terminating their contract with Adams effective Sept. 30.

Commissioners have not yet decided how to handle public defender services in the future, according to a news release. The decision to reinstate Adams was made by the board “as a whole,” the release said.

Commissioner Todd Tondee was the only one to whom Adams had revealed his health condition, the release said.

The termination came after Adams filed a harassment complaint against Commissioner Jai Nelson. Nelson was not present at the Tuesday meeting, the Coeur d’Alene Press reported.

Jennifer Pignolet

Police searching for stabbing suspect

Police are searching for a woman suspected of stabbing her boyfriend early Wednesday morning in their north Spokane home.

April Fletcher, 32, and her boyfriend, Thomas Still, have a history of domestic violence, a neighbor told police, according to court records.

Fletcher told the neighbor to call 911 because “she had to do it,” according to records. Fletcher then left the home.

The neighbor found Still laying in bed with stab wounds.

Spokane police officers later found blood on the door and floor in the bedroom.

Nicole Hensley