Deputies Cleared In Man’S Death

Thu., Dec. 14, 2000

FOR THE RECORD: Friday, December 15, 2000: Headline wrong: A headline in Thursday’s Spokesman-Review, regarding a story about three Whitman County deputies returning to work after a fatal shooting, carried the headline “Deputies cleared in man’s death.” While the three deputies were approved to return to work, an investigation into the shooting continues.

Three Whitman County sheriff’s deputies involved in last week’s fatal shooting of Chester Eugene Hunt were cleared to return to work Wednesday.

Detectives from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and Spokane Police Department are still investigating the incident in which Hunt, a 26-year-old Clarkston man, threatened to kill himself and police officers in a roadside standoff on Highway 195 south of Pullman.

When Hunt threatened deputies with a pistol, three Whitman County officers fired at him, according to Whitman County Sheriff Steve Tomson. Hunt died later that evening, during surgery to repair a single bullet wound.

Sgt. Patrick Kelley and deputies Rick McNannay and Paul Reavis were cleared to return to work after receiving critical incident counseling, which is required after high-stress incidents.

The incident is being investigated by the Spokane detectives because it’s protocol for an outside agency to investigate police shootings.

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