Straub: Officers shoot knife-wielding man outside Truth Ministries shelter

Police officers shot a man Thursday night behind Truth Ministries in east Spokane. Chief Frank Straub said a 911 call reported that a man was threatening people with a knife inside the shelter at 1910 E. Sprague Ave. When police arrived, he was in the alley behind the shelter. When officers approached, the man refused to put the knife down after multiple commands, Straub said. Officers used a Taser on the man, but he continued to advance on them and officers fired their guns at him multiple times. “Officers perceived a threat to themselves and the community,” Straub said. Medics from the Spokane Fire station across the alley treated the man’s wounds and he was rushed to a local hospital, where his condition is unknown. The incident occurred about 9 p.m. The Washington State Patrol will take the lead in investigating the officer-involved shooting, Straub said.