Man dead after nine officers fire at him on Spokane’s South Hill

A man is dead after nine Spokane police officers reportedly fired their weapons at him when he raised a handgun toward them Wednesday night on the South Hill.

Officers responded shortly after 6 p.m. to the report of a suicidal man in the area of Cliff Drive and Stevens Street, according to a Spokane police news release. The call came in from an unrelated witness who reported the man was armed, handed the person a suicide note and threatened to kill the complainant.

Acting Police Chief Justin Lundgren told reporters that officers located the man and gave him multiple commands to drop his gun.

“The man did not comply, and on at least two occasions, he raised the weapon in the direction of officers, which resulted in officers firing in response,” Lundgren said.

He said nine officers, who were uninjured, fired their weapons.

Officers provided medical aid to the man, but he died at a local hospital.

The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the name of the man.

The shooting marked the second in two days involving law enforcement in Spokane County.

Spokane County Sheriff’s Office deputies shot and killed a man Tuesday night in north Spokane after the sheriff’s office said he harassed and threatened a neighbor and was uncooperative with deputies.

Several law enforcement vehicles with their flashing blue and red lights were present for several hours Wednesday night in the area of the South Hill shooting scene.

Those vehicles, yellow crime scene tape and orange and white street department barricades blocked surrounding streets as law enforcement investigated.

Stevens and Cliff are on the edge of Edwidge Woldson Park in the Cliff-Cannon Neighborhood. A large gravel look-out area next to the intersection allows pedestrians to enjoy the view of downtown Spokane and beyond.

A couple neighbors Thursday said they were saddened by the fatal shooting. Another neighbor said he heard the gunshots.

“I’m disappointed, but I wasn’t shocked,” said Dave Marken, who lives nearby.

Marken and neighbor Will Lujan noted some people use the look-out area on Cliff Drive to use and sell drugs. They also said drivers often race through the neighborhood, which Lujan said is infuriating. The two neighbors said they report those issues to police.

The nine officers who fired their guns will be placed on administrative leave, per standard officer-involved shooting protocol, Lundgren said. Spokane police will release their names, the release said.

The Spokane Independent Investigative Response Team is investigating, and the sheriff’s office is serving as the leading investigating agency.

The case will be forwarded to the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office for review when the investigation is complete.