Police officer shoots stalking suspect

A Spokane police officer shot a suspected stalker Saturday night following a lengthy car chase in North Spokane. The man is in stable condition at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. The shooting happened after the man crashed his car during the chase in the 2200 block of North Post Street, near intersection with Montgomery Avenue, said Police Chief Frank Straub. Neighborhood resident Katie Evans said she stepped outside to smoke when she heard sirens and then what sounded like a car crash followed by gunfire. “There was five shots after a crashing sound,” she said. The Washington State Patrol will handle the shooting per the protocol which tasks another law enforcement agency with conducting independent investigations into officer-involved shootings. Straub said police took an initial call from a woman who complained of a stalker at 7:35 p.m. There were reports that the man threw something at her home and then fled. Police gave chase. “He was driving erratically for an hour,” said police spokeswoman Monique Cotton. “Officers tried to stop him a couple times.” Straub added: “At at least one point the suspect virtually hit one of our officers.”