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

East Central shooter attempted to provide aid to victim

Edward Bushnell, the man accused of fatally shooting another man Tuesday in East Central Spokane, attempted to provide medical aid to the victim, according to new court documents. Bushnell, 27, told police that while longboarding near Altamont Street and Fifth Avenue, he heard a woman screaming. That’s when he saw William Poindexter, 45, grabbing and throwing a woman to the ground. Bushnell intervened and got into a fight with Poindexter. During that fight, which included at least one knife and a bat, Bushnell was hit hard in the face and “lost a little ‘focus,’” court documents state. As Poindexter and the woman walked away, Bushnell took his 9mm Springfield Arms XD handgun from his backpack and shot Poindexter twice in the back, according to court documents. When asked by police what he was thinking, Bushnell said, “I couldn’t tell you. I guess protect myself and the girl.” Bushnell then helped drag Poindexter’s onto the grass, where he placed him on his back to help control the bleeding, he told police. “I don’t take lives every day,” Bushnell said. “And I don’t take it lightly.” Witnesses testified that roughly 30 to 45 seconds elapsed between Bushnell and Poindexter’s fight and the shooting. Bushnell has a concealed weapons permit for the gun and has no prior convictions. During his first appearance Thursday, his attorney, Rob Cossey, asked for a reduced bond. Cossey cited Bushnell’s six years in the military, the fact that he has no prior convictions and that his family is from Spokane. Members of Bushnell’s family were in attendance. Bushnell’s bond was set at $500,000. He is being held in Spokane County Jail. Court documents show that the woman had a no-contact order against Poindexter stemming from a March domestic violence charge. The woman had attempted to dismiss the restraining order several times, but it was still in effect at the time of the shooting. The order prohibited Poindexter from being within 1,000 feet of her. “That’s what we do, we beat each other up,” the woman told police. “That doesn’t give someone the right to shoot him.”