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Armed and…ill

Interim Spokane police Chief Scott Stephens mingles with the crowd at Riverfront Park during Mayor David Condon’s swearing-in ceremony on Dec. 30. (Dan Pelle)
Catherine Johnston

Many times when police encounter an armed person, that person is looking for a way to die – and want the cops to kill them. The phenomenon is so common it even has a name: suicide by cop. It happens in about 10-20 per cent of officer-involved shootings.

Police know this phenomenon and work to protect themselves while seeking ways to help the suicidal person.

This weekend Spokane police were able to do exactly that.

( S-R archives photo: Interim Spokane police Chief Scott Stephens )

* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "EndNotes." Read all stories from this blog