Man arrested after fight ends in fatal stabbing

One man is dead and another is in jail following a stabbing late Thursday at an East Central apartment complex.

Spokane Police arrested Arturo Rodriguez-Ramos, 26, on suspicion of first-degree manslaughter for allegedly stabbing Shawn Stevens, 26. Stevens was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead, police said.

According to court documents, Stevens was part of a group of friends hanging out on an apartment landing at 1509 E. Seventh Ave.

A woman who lived in the building was complaining to the group that her boyfriend, Rodriguez-Ramos, was abusive and refused to leave her apartment, court records say. Several people, including Stevens, volunteered to go inside her apartment and make sure he left.

Witnesses told police Stevens told Rodriguez-Ramos to leave, then pushed him. Rodriguez-Ramos left the apartment, and Stevens and several witnesses followed to make sure he left, according to court records.

A witness told police Rodriguez-Ramos then turned as if he was going back toward the apartment, court records say. Stevens ran up behind him and pushed him, then began punching him in the face before backing away.

Stevens returned to the group and said he’d been stabbed in the chest, while Rodriguez-Ramos fled the scene, court records say.

Rodriguez-Ramos told police he knew the group that confronted him didn’t like him, and he placed “a small kitchen knife” from the kitchen counter into his pocket because he knew there might be trouble after he asked his girlfriend to come back to the apartment, court records say. He said he stabbed Stevens with the knife as Stevens repeatedly struck him with a closed fist, according to court documents.

Officers responded to the area just before 11 p.m. and administered CPR before medics arrived to take Stevens to the hospital.

Police arrested Rodriguez-Ramos about 45 minutes later, after finding him at a home at 2417 E. Eighth Ave. His bond was set at $150,000.