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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In brief: Knife-wielding man at STA Plaza stopped by bean bags

From Staff And Wire Reports

A man was shot by bean bag rounds outside the Spokane Transit Authority Plaza on Friday evening after police were called by security officers reporting that the man was waving a knife around.

When police arrived the man put his hand under his jacket and police couldn’t tell if he was holding a knife or a gun, said Spokane police Lt. Tom Hendren.

Officers worked to remove bystanders and tried to negotiate with the man.

“He was completely unresponsive,” Hendren said.

Officers believed the man was suffering from a mental health episode, Hendren said.

“Our No. 1 concern is protection of life,” he said. “There’s obviously a concern with this congested area.”

Several officers fired bean bag rounds at the man, who dropped the knife and fell to the ground. The knife was recovered from a storm drain, Hendren said.

The man was not seriously injured but was taken to a hospital as a precaution. Hendren said he was unsure if criminal charges will be filed.

Officials identify woman, girl who died in Chattaroy RV fire

The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office released the name of the woman and her daughter who died in an RV fire near Chattaroy on Tuesday.

Melina O’Flynn, 37, and her daughter Ariana, 4, died in the fire but a cause of death is pending further testing. A dog caged outside the RV also died.

The fire started in the RV and spread about a quarter-acre into the woods behind the home, but was under control by 3:30 a.m., firefighters said.

Lonnie Rash, assistant chief of Spokane County Fire District 4, said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

Three area men indicted on federal drug charges

Three men from Idaho and Washington face federal drug charges after a federal grand jury indicted them Tuesday for allegedly possessing and distributing large quantities of heroin and methamphetamine.

Blair T. Murphy, 40, of Lewiston, and Darin K. Taylor, 55, of Post Falls, were arrested separately this week, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Idaho.

Murphy was charged with distributing methamphetamine after a confidential informant allegedly purchased 42 grams of the drug from him on two occasions earlier this year, according to the criminal complaint. He faces a total of four charges with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.

Taylor also is accused of distributing methamphetamine and faces a five-year minimum sentence.

A third man, Hugo Acevedo, 34, of Pullman, was indicted following an Aug. 14 arrest. According to the criminal complaint, federal agents found almost 120 grams of methamphetamine and 50 grams of heroin in Acevedo’s car in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

He faces charges for possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine.

All three men pleaded not guilty to the charges Thursday.

Authorities seized methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, cocaine, mushrooms, cash, firearms and stolen vehicles in the arrests, according to the news release.

‘Kettle Falls Five’ member dies of pancreatic cancer

COLVILLE – A man at the center of a nationally watched medical marijuana case has died of pancreatic cancer, six months after the federal government dropped charges against him.

Larry Harvey was 71. He died Thursday in a hospital in Colville.

Harvey and four others – including his wife, two relatives and a friend – faced charges after they were caught about three years ago growing about 70 pot plants on their rural property near Kettle Falls. They were known as the “Kettle Falls Five.”

Harvey said he used the drug to ease pain from gout, but the government argued that the operation did not comply with the state’s medical marijuana law.

The case outraged medical marijuana advocates because Harvey faced at least 10 years in prison. Also, while marijuana use remains illegal under federal law, its recreational and medicinal use is legal in Washington.

Harvey was dismissed from the case in February after being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in December.

Impending rain hastens search for third victim of landslide

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The search for a third man believed buried in landslide debris in Alaska took on renewed urgency Friday, with rain in the forecast expected to increase the risk of more slides.

The coastal town of Sitka was expected to get 2 to 3 inches of rain over several days, beginning Friday evening, officials said.

The rain was forecast as the town tries to dry out after six landslides occurred Tuesday when 2 1/2 inches of rain fell in 24 hours.

The bodies of brothers Elmer, 26, and Ulises Diaz, 25, were found in the debris of logs and muck earlier this week.

The brothers were painting a new house at a construction site when the landslides struck. Searchers were still looking for city building official William Stortz, 62, who also went missing in the debris.

Workers were trying to improve drainage at the site.