Routine traffic stop leads to two arrests in Liberty Lake

Liberty Lake police officers made a couple of interesting arrests the week of Jan. 28 to Feb. 4, one of which started as a routine traffic stop.

A car was pulled over at Mission Avenue and Barker Road at 1:50 p.m. on Jan. 31 for an equipment violation and a traffic violation. The officer saw the driver and passenger moving around a lot after the car was pulled over and saw the driver hand something to the passenger, said Police Chief Brian Asmus.

The officer spotted a knife attached to the belt of the driver and detained him. The driver had an additional knife and brass knuckles as well, Asmus said. During a search the officer also found a handcuff key and a plastic bag containing a white powdery substance, Asmus said. The powder didn’t test positive for methamphetamine and was sent to the crime lab for analysis, he said.

The passenger also had a pocket knife as well as a smoking device that had methamphetamine residue on it, Asmus said.

The driver was booked into the Spokane County Jail on two counts of possession of a dangerous weapon, and the passenger faces a charge of unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

Police were called to the 21000 block of East Rockrose Lane at 6:45 a.m. Saturday when a woman reported that her adult son had assaulted her and taken her car. Her son was gone when police arrived, and the car was entered into the system as stolen, Asmus said.

The department was notified at 3:45 p.m. that same day that the son had turned himself in to police in Athol, Asmus said. He was booked into the Kootenai County Jail on charges of first-degree robbery, taking a motor vehicle without permission and fourth-degree domestic violence assault.

Officers also responded to calls for loud verbal arguments, a deer hit by a car, fraud, a car accident and two false holdup alarms at Taco Bell. A resident in the 200 block of North Lindeblad Lane called police at 6:30 a.m. Friday to report someone walking around his neighbor’s house with a flashlight. It turned out that it was the homeowner going out to pick up his newspaper, Asmus said.

Liberty Lake officers were called to back up a sheriff’s deputy in the area of the 1500 block of South Garry Road on Jan. 31 for a traffic stop of a car suspected to be involved in several mail thefts. A search of the driver turned up several syringes, one of which held an unknown liquid, Asmus said. The passenger reportedly admitted that he and the driver had been stealing mail from mailboxes in the Liberty Lake area, Asmus said. The case is under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office.

During the week officers made two arrests for driving with a suspended license. They handed out three citations for license and plates required, eight for failure to show proof of liability insurance, five for speeding and two for defective muffler. Additional citations were given for attachment of plate to vehicle, invalid license in possession/displayed, improper signal and failure to signal.