Spokane man shot, ‘possibly stabbed’ on Fourth of July

The Fourth of July ended in a hospital bed for a Spokane man who was “shot in the leg at least once and possibly stabbed” during a fight in Tekoa, according to the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office.

Boris Titov, 36, was airlifted to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center with injuries that don’t appear to be life-threatening, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. He was shot in the 100 block of North Howard Street in Tekoa.

Deputies later found the suspect, Jerry J. Tkach, 63, of Spokane, outside a nearby bar. According to the news release, Tkach told deputies he and Titov had been staying with friends in Tekoa for the Fourth of July, and they started arguing.

Tkach reportedly told deputies he shot Titov in self-defense after Titov tried to assault him with a metal pipe. Deputies reported he was carrying a small-caliber handgun.

Tkach faces one charge of first-degree assault. He’s being held in the Whitman County Jail pending a court appearance Tuesday afternoon.