Victim, 55, Beaten With Pipe

Sat., Aug. 1, 1998

By Pat Sciuchetti pats@spokesman.com

Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 24-year-old suspect from Spokane Valley on Wednesday after a vicious beating witnessed by several passersby.

At least three people called 911 to report a young man beating an older man with a pipe in the 1400 block of North Argonne Road.

The victim, a 55-year-old man, did not know the attacker, according to police reports. He was covered in blood when deputies arrived. He suffered numerous head gashes and bruised and bloody eyes, Sheriff’s Department spokesman David Reagan said.

Deputies arrested Shawn P. Mahoney, of 8003 E. Cataldo, for first degree assault at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Mahoney also was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia.

The victim told police he first saw his attacker when he stopped his pickup truck at a red light at the corner of Argonne and Mission Avenue. He made eye contact with the suspect who was standing on the sidewalk. The suspect looked back and said “What are you looking at?”

The victim drove by, stopping at a nearby business on North Argonne to get his mail, deputies said. When he returned to the parking lot, he saw the suspect standing near his pickup truck.

According to the victim and witnesses, the younger man began punching the older man, then took out a 3/4-inch wide solid copper bar and began hitting him in the head. The victim told police he could only remember being hit 9 to 12 times. Witnesses reported seeing more strikes.

A passerby told police she saw the victim fall to his knees. She yelled at the suspect, telling him to stop, but he instead hit the victim faster and harder. Two witnesses followed the suspect when he left, and kept sheriff’s deputies alerted to his location.

The suspect has a long criminal record, according to sheriff’s officials, including convictions for disorderly conduct, possession of stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia, criminal trespass and other crimes.

Before he was taken to jail, the suspect was transported to a local hospital where he received five stitches in his hand. Deputies said the injuries may have resulted from punching the victim so hard.

The victim also was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated for his head injuries and released.

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