Spokane Valley woman shoots at boyfriend after mistaking him for burglar

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is urging caution after a Wednesday night incident where a woman shot at her boyfriend thinking he was a burglar. The man was unharmed.

Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Mark Gregory said police were called to a home in the 900 block of South Blake Road in Spokane Valley around 6:45 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a possible residential burglary in progress.

Gregory said the man returned home and discovered he had locked himself out. He started knocking on doors trying to get inside and eventually entered the house. His girlfriend was alone at home with a young child and got scared when she heard someone moving around the house jiggling doors, Gregory said.

When her boyfriend came inside, she fired two shots at him with a handgun, Gregory said. The boyfriend was not hit, no bullets left the house and no one was injured. Deputies processed the scene, but no criminal charges are expected, Gregory said.

Gregory said the report doesn’t say whether power was out at the home, but he said that was likely. He sympathized with the woman’s fear but said the incident showed the need for caution as well as vigilance.

“There are plenty of people out there who are worried,” he said. “We’re encouraging everybody to watch each other’s property and pay attention and be vigilant … but also be very, very careful. The last thing we want is some tragedy like this.”