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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sirens & Gavels archive for April 2010

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010

Police union: No confidence in Kirkpatrick

Union leaders representing Spokane Police Department officers say they have approved a no-confidence vote against Chief Anne Kirkpatrick and her administration. The Spokane Police Guild said a “majority” of its 268 members voted in March that they have no confidence in the “office” of the…

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State gets $500,000 in seized cig money

The Washington state Liquor Control Board recently received $500,000 seized in an illegal cigarette trafficking case. The money will be used to assist the agency in enforcing liquor laws in the state, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington announced Wednesday. The money…

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010

Zags basketball led Thompson to Zehm call

Newly filed documents reveal new details about the encounter with Spokane police Officer Karl Thompson (left) and other officers that led to Otto Zehm's death. Tom Clouse wrote an article explaining that allegations of a cover up by Spokane police officers over their handling of…

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Oxy robbery tipster now accused of robbery

A man who reportedly tipped police to the identities of three suspected pharmacy robbers is now accused of participating in the Sept. 27 incident. Benjamin K. Rasmussen, 19, pleaded not guilty today to one charge of first-degree robbery. Police believe he stayed in the car…

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Teen torture suspects due in court today

Two teens accused of kidnapping and torturing a suspected burglar are in police custody. Jesse T.R. Bushnell, 19; (left) and Jesse R. James, 17, are due in Superior Court this afternoon via video from the jail, where they've been since Tuesday. Bushnell and James are…

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TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2010


'She wasn't fleeing. She was just moving.'

A woman found in Portland with two children who'd been ordered to return to state custody is back in Spokane.Patricia J. Lyons, 25, is in jail on $15,000 bond after she pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Spokane County Superior Court.on one count of second-degree assault.Spokane…

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Tankovich erases the smile just in time

By Thomas Clouse The hate crime trial in Coeur d’Alene taught one of the defendants to check his gear before he draws a practical joke. Deputy Prosecutor Art Verharen used an erasable board to have a witness draw how the Tankovichs' pickup, which had a…

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Lilac Lanes managers accused of theft

The top managers at Spokane's Lilac Lanes are accused of stealing nearly $175,000 from the business. Eddie S. Williams, 44, and Shari Cawley were arrested today at the bowling alley and gambling hall, located at 1112 East Magnesium Road. Washington State Gambling Commission investigators say…

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Reward offered for tips on 2 sex offenders

Crime Stoppers is offering rewards information that helps arrest two Spokane sex offenders who haven't registered. Eric A. Christian, 22, (left) was sentenced to 8 months in jail in June 2008 for a third-degree assault charge. A warrant for Christian's arrest was issued last month…

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Fugitive mother returns to Spokane

A woman found in Portland with two children who'd been ordered to return to state custody is back in Spokane. Patricia J. Lyons, 25, is due in Spokane County Superior Court on one count of second-degree assault after police say she stabbed her ex-boyfriend April…

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Hate-crime trial begins in CdA, again

Opening statements are expected today in the trial of three brothers accused of harassing a Coeur d'Alene man because of his ethnicity.Ira Gino Tankovich, 47, Frank James Tankovich, 46, and William Michael Tankovich Jr., 49, (left to right) were indicted by a grand jury last…

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MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2010

2 weekend fires were intentionally set

Two house fires on Saturday were intentionally set, Spokane fie officials announced today. A fire at 407 E. Crown Avenue broke out just minutes after a fire a few blocks away at 1507 E. Everett Avenue. The first fire began at shed and spread to…

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3 mugged in Spokane early Saturday

Three people were mugged in Spokane early Saturday, and police are looking for help identifying suspects. Two robberies occurred about 4 a.m. near Sprague and Washington, then at Riverside and Washington. Another occurred between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. at 2200 W. Wellesley Ave. According…

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Jury convicts gunman in neighbor dispute

A Stevens County man faces about 7 years in prison for a neighbor dispute that erupted in gunfire last May.A jury recently convicted John Lewis Eberly, Jr., of assault and burglary after he fired a shot through his neighbor's front door, then broke into the…

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3 months for urinator who 'accosted' kids

By Thomas ClouseA man facing a lengthy prison sentence instead pleaded guilty today to a list of charges that resulted from him waving a gun at a group of mostly teenagers. Phillip J. Koller, 61, was charged with several counts of first-degree assault for an…

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Jereme  Bassett stands and walks forward in his first appearance in the death of Nevaeh Miller Tuesday, Mar. 25, 2008 in a courtroom at the Spokane Public Safety Building. He is accused of the child's death by abuse while the child's mother was working. JESSE TINSLEY THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)

Man pleads guilty to '08 murder of baby

A Spokane man who murdered a 7-month-old girl, then assaulted her older brother, faces 12 to 20 years in prison when he’s sentenced next month. Jereme J. Bassett, 24, has been in Spokane County Jail since March 20, 2008, the day his now ex-girlfriend brought…

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FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 2010

Police: Drug dealer, teens tortured burglar

Two teenagers and a Spokane man are accused of kidnapping and torturing a suspected burglar. Police believe Chaz P. Crow, 20; Jesse T.R. Bushnell, 19; and Jesse R. James, 17, kidnapped Russell Cole on two occasions in revenge for Cole stealing from Crow’s apartment, according…

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Another arrested in robbery w/ crowbar

Another suspect has been arrested in a violent home-invasion robbery two weeks ago.Robert Andrew Wilson, 24, is in jail on $175,000 bail. Spokane County Sheriff’s detectives believe he used a crowbar to assault a man and woman in an apartment at 815 W. Bellwood early…

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Gunman wanted in Spokane carjacking

A man who stole a 2002 Pontiac Bonneville at gunpoint in East Central Spokane Thursday is on the loose. The carjacker stole the Pontiac from a woman at First Avenue and Stone Street about 11 p.m., according to the Spokane Police Department. The woman left…

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City of Spokane looks at creating new jail

The city of Spokane wants to spend less money housing low-risk inmates and will begin exploring cheaper options, including the possibility of creating its own minimum-security lockup rather than rely on the county jail.The idea, which could include using a private jail contractor, caused tension…

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Public safety news from the Inland Northwest and beyond.




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