Man shot by Spokane police identified

The man shot by two Spokane police officers Saturday afternoon was Tyler J. Randant, 22, investigators said Tuesday.

A resident called police to report Randant was standing in the middle of Division Street near Cataldo Avenue trying to stop vehicles and open car doors Saturday afternoon, according to a news release from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the shooting.

Other people called to report Randant was trying to kick and hit vehicles and was armed with a knife.

When police arrived, Randant was holding a knife to his throat, the release said. He ran into the Zip Trip parking lot behind an unoccupied car and ignored police commands to drop the knife. Two officers fired, striking Randant. One of the officers was wearing a body camera.

The officers who shot Randant have been identified as Cory Lyons and Holt Widhalm. Both have been with the Spokane Police Department since 2007.

Lyons was involved in a shooting involving a man in the Salvation Army parking lot in 2013. Widhalm was involved in the shooting of a knife-wielding man near Truth Ministries in 2014. Both incidents were ruled justified by the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office.

Randant was taken to the hospital in critical condition but was stable as of Monday. He will face multiple counts of attempted robbery and assault for the incident, and additional charges are expected. Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the incident and has not been interviewed to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233 and reference incident #392381.