Man Sought Shootout, Deputies Say
A Mead man arrested after holding off sheriff’s deputies for seven hours Sunday wanted to have a shootout, authorities said.
James H. Walters, 45, of 5427 E. Peone, gave the sheriff’s office a deadline of noon Sunday to show up at his home.
If the deadline was not met, he indicated that he would start shooting people and cars passing by his mobile home until officers showed up and killed him, according to the sheriff’s department.
“He’s been very stressed out, is the gist of it,” Undersheriff Mike Aubrey said.
Walters has a history of domestic violence, according to the sheriff’s department.
His wife called deputies to the home Jan. 22 because she feared for the welfare of the couple’s children, Aubrey said.
Walters allegedly was walking around with a shotgun.
“He threatened us a few times,” Aubrey said. “He finally left the trailer to go into the shop. Then we got the children out.”
Walters was not arrested in that incident.
Following last weekend’s incident, sheriff’s deputies said they learned that Walters had a small arsenal - 14 rifles and two handguns - in his home.
Shortly before the noon deadline Sunday, deputies shut off traffic on Peone Road.
About six nearby homes were evacuated.
Negotiators started talking to Walters about noon. He left his home at 5 p.m. carrying a shotgun and hopped into his car.
Walters drove west on Peone Road toward Mead, until he hit a spike belt that flattened his tires.
A sheriff’s car carrying SWAT team members followed Walters until he stopped. Walters then began backing up his car toward the sheriff’s car, which also reversed.
A short distance later, Walters slid his car around in the deep snow and approached the SWAT members with his headlights shining on them.
A SWAT member shot out the headlights, and Walters stopped his car, according to the sheriff’s department.
Negotiations continued for a couple of hours, and Walters finally surrendered.
He is being held in the Spokane County Jail for felony harassment and making death threats.
, DataTimes