Deputies capture shooting suspect in Spokane Valley

A man working a piece of vacant land in an earth mover was shot in the back shortly after 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Adams Road and Cataldo Avenue in Spokane Valley. “He was in the machine working when he was hit,” said Spokane County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Craig Chamberlin. The man is in stable condition at a local hospital. Deputies located the suspect at a home in the 1000 block of North Burns Road, which backs up against the vacant land. Chamberlin said investigators are trying to determine if the man was shot with a rifle or a pellet rifle. As of Thursday evening the suspect was being questioned and had not been arrested. “Right now we’re still trying to figure out what happened,” Craig said. Spokane County Assessor records show that the 7.84 acre vacant parcel at Adams and Cataldo where the victim was shot is owned by Black Realty. The City of Spokane Valley issued a grading permit on June 6 allowing preparation of the site for 29 residential lots. The work is being done by MDM Excavation. Black Realty purchased the land from Crosby Family Land LLC for $510,000 in January.