Thomas Clouse

Kicked door nets man burglary charge

A golfer who sprained his ankle at Esmeralda Golf Course is getting $215,000 from the city of Spokane plus free golf for the rest of his life, but neither side is talking about the unusual case. The settlement with 72-year-old Stan L. Peterson was approved earlier this week by the Spokane City Council, ending a five-year legal battle that featured gag orders and lost evidence.

High court upholds Coe commitment

The Spokane Police Department is investigating the reported abduction and kidnapping of a woman who said she was assaulted in Spokane and dumped in the woods in Stevens County, where her captor fired several gunshots at her that missed. A search warrant in Spokane County Superior Court names the suspect as Forest J. Shields, who turned 30 on Sunday. Shields was arraigned on Tuesday for possession of a stolen car and illegal possession of a firearm, but no charges have been filed in connection with the reported kidnapping. The victim reported that a second man was involved, but it’s unclear whether he also is in custody.

The Spokane Police Department is investigating the reported abduction and kidnapping of a woman who said she was assaulted in Spokane and dumped in the woods in Stevens County where her captor fired several gunshots at her that missed.

Feds join Spokane shooting probe

In what federal prosecutors described as a national security case, a Clarkston man pleaded guilty in Spokane on Tuesday to manufacturing an explosive device and attempting to provide material assistance to terrorists. Joseph J. Brice, 22, faces up to 15 years in federal prison, although U.S. District Court Judge Lonny Suko indicated he could impose more or less time than that. The federal investigation, which is still mostly sealed, followed Brice’s posting of violent videos on YouTube in late 2010 and early 2011. Brice also posted a video honoring Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.

A man charged with attempted second-degree murder in connection with a shooting targeting three black youths may face federal hate crime charges as well. Jimmy J. Blackburn, 29, pleaded not guilty Tuesday before Superior Court Judge Sam Cozza, who ordered Blackburn to remain in custody on a $500,000 bond. Cozza set Blackburn’s trial on the attempted murder charges for Nov. 19.

A man charged with attempted second-degree murder in connection with a shot targeting three black youths was ordered held in jail Tuesday as federal authorities also indicated that they would investigate the shooting as a possible hate crime.

In what was described by federal prosecutors as a national security case, a Clarkston man – who posted a video honoring Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh – pleaded guilty in Spokane today to manufacturing an explosive device and attempting to provide material assistance to terrorists.

Call nets burglary arrests and stolen car

A Spokane County woman told sheriff’s deputies that she slept Sunday night while a burglar cleaned out her coin collections and spoons from all over the world.

Internal affairs investigators for the Spokane Police Department have sided with officers accused of brutality and excessive force in every single complaint filed by citizens over the past five years, a statistic that troubles several community leaders, including the city’s new top cop. Longtime brass within the police force, however, say the community needs to look beyond statistics alone and consider that the Spokane department does a better job of training and weeding out potential problem officers early in the recruiting process.

A con man with dozens of victims in three states was convicted Thursday of another 12 counts of deceiving victims into shoveling over money for projects he never completed. A jury convicted Ronald G. Stratton, 60, of 12 counts of theft by deception following a four-day trial before Superior Court Judge Jerome Leveque. The new convictions add to eight convictions for grand theft in Kootenai County in 1995 and nine convictions for theft in 1997 in Missoula.

WSP job applicants' drug use an issue