Bathroom ruse used in hospital escape try, records say

The inmate shot at by a corrections officer during an alleged attempt to flee custody last month at Deaconess Hospital escaped after asking to use the bathroom, according to court records.

Cameron Trevino, 26, was booked into Spokane County Jail last month facing charges of first-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm. According to investigators, Trevino was taken to Deaconess in the early morning hours of July 14 after a reported suicide attempt in his cell at the jail.

New details of the altercation that led to Corrections Officer Sandy Rief firing his service weapon at Trevino indicate pepper spray and baton strikes were used in an attempt to subdue a fleeing Trevino, to no avail. Rief reportedly gave multiple warnings he would fire, eventually doing so after other attempts to stop Trevino had failed.

The inmate was not armed with anything at the time of the shooting, according to court documents filed Friday.

Trevino was unconscious when he arrived at Deaconess, but remained restrained to a hospital bed, according to records. He awoke, and asked Rief, who had recently come on shift to supervise Trevino, to use the restroom.

Rief removed restraints on the bed and was preparing to cuff Trevino’s ankles when Trevino punched the officer and ran, according to court documents.

Several nurses witnessed the ensuing encounter, one of whom suffered an asthma attack and had to be treated in the emergency room because of the amount of pepper spray in the hallways, investigators said.

Rief cornered Trevino in an elevator and had him on the ground several times during the encounter, but Trevino continued to resist, according to court documents. One nurse reported hearing the inmate threaten the guard’s life before running down a stairwell to the fourth floor.

Rief attempted to radio multiple times for assistance during the altercation, but was unsuccessful, he told investigators.

The two men faced each other in the hallway of the fourth floor, one nurse said, and Rief gave a final warning that he would have to shoot if Trevino did not stop running. At that point, the witness said, Trevino turned to run again and Rief fired one shot, which struck a nearby wall. Trevino fell to the ground “immediately,” the witness told investigators.

The nurse and Rief approached and handcuffed Trevino, who had no bullet wounds. He was treated for exposure to the pepper spray and is again in custody at Spokane County Jail, facing both federal and state criminal charges.

Trevino declined multiple jailhouse interview requests last month. Spokane police reported last month Rief was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a use-of-force investigation into the incident. County Jail Commander John McGrath did not respond on Friday to a request for Rief’s employment status.

Investigators have requested Trevino’s medical records to determine if the alleged suicide attempt might have been “a ruse in a premeditated attempt to escape,” according to court documents.