Citizens help Spokane County deputy chase down suspect

Several citizens helped a Spokane County Sheriff’s deputy chase down a suspect Sunday, including one who offered the deputy a ride during an extended foot chase.

Deputy Shawn Hause was in the area of 57th and Regal around 3 p.m. Sunday when he spotted a Camaro with no license plates being driven by a man whom he recognized as having a suspended license. He pulled the car over and the driver, identified as 46-year-old Jason B. Farmer, initially refused to get out of the car, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

When Farmer did get of the car, he yelled “Don’t shoot me” and took off running even though Hause did not have his weapon drawn, the Sheriff’s Office said. At one point during the foot chase Farmer ran through someone’s garage.

A gold Nissan twice cut Farmer off in an attempt to slow him down. A civilian pulled up next to Hause and offered him a ride, which Hause “gladly” accepted, the Sheriff’s Office said. After Hause caught up to Farmer he was able to stop him and handcuff him with the assistance of an off-duty Sunnyside police officer who was passing by.

The citizen who offered Hause a ride returned to the area where the chase started to stand watch over Hause’s patrol car while Hause and the off duty officer walked back to the scene with Farmer.

Farmer was booked into the Spokane County Jail on suspicion of third-degree driving with a suspended license, first-degree criminal trespass, resisting arrest and failure to obey law enforcement.

The Sheriff’s Office expressed its gratitude to the helpful citizens for the assistance given to Hause. The driver of the gold Nissan has not been identified.