In brief: Spokane murder suspect shoots himself in leg, police say

A man wanted for murder in Spokane accidentally shot himself and ended up in a Portland hospital over the weekend, police said Sunday.

Brandon Mellon, 26, will be arrested for first-degree murder in Friday’s shooting death of a man in an apartment at 2228 N. Astor St. The victim’s identity has not been released.

Mellon shot himself in the leg prior to being taken into custody in Pasco and was taken to a Portland hospital in critical condition, Spokane police spokeswoman Monique Cotton said.

Detectives will request the murder charge from the Spokane County prosecutor, Cotton said. They will extradite and arrest Mellon once they receive a warrant, she said.

Friday’s shooting occurred just before 10 p.m. Officers responding to 911 calls found the victim dead with a gunshot wound.

Man killed in crash near Chewelah

A Deer Park man died Saturday night when the car he was driving left U.S. Highway 395 and struck a guardrail 3 miles south of Chewelah, Wash.

Clint T. Yarber, 28, was killed in the single-vehicle accident, the Washington State Patrol said.

Yarber was driving a 2001 Ford Escort northbound just after 10 p.m. when the car went off the shoulder and struck a guardrail on a bridge over the Colville River.

Police seek woman from robberies

Spokane police are asking the public to help identify a woman suspected of robbing two pharmacies over the weekend.

The first robbery was at Safeway, 3919 N. Market St., just after 4 p.m. Saturday. The second was at Fred Meyer, 400 S. Thor St., just before 5:45 p.m. Sunday. Both times, a female demanded prescription medication and fled.

The woman is described as white with brown hair, 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-6, 120 to 130 pounds, and 20 to 30 years old.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for anyone providing information leading to an arrest. Call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (800) 222-TIPS or forward the tip via www.crimestoppersinlandnorthwest.org.