Shooting called self-defense

Spokane County sheriff’s Deputy Thomas E. Edelbrock apparently acted in self-defense when he fired a single bullet into the head of a 29-year-old suspected of car theft last week near Medical Lake, officials said Monday.

Why investigators determined that the deputy thought his life was in danger, however, remains unclear.

Officials would not say if the suspect, Dustin M. Lowe, of Billings, was armed or where in the head he was shot. Sheriff’s Office spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said only, “After a foot pursuit that lasted nearly a quarter-mile, Edelbrock fired at the suspect.”

At the time, the deputy had been advised by dispatchers that Lowe had a history of threatening law enforcement officers and that Montana authorities had warned he should be considered armed and dangerous.

Monday was the first time officials released the name of the deputy involved in the shooting.

The investigation is continuing, Reagan said. Interviews of all involved parties are under way, officials said, and releasing incomplete information could taint the investigation.

“We will present this investigation when it’s complete,” Reagan said.

Edelbrock, 45, is a 17-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office. He is on paid administrative leave.

The deputy was patrolling an area near the intersection of Medical Lake and Bartholomew roads around 9 a.m. Thursday when he pulled over to investigate a suspicious vehicle, Reagan said.

Edelbrock learned the 2005 Dodge Neon had been stolen in Deer Lodge, Mont., on Jan. 24 and the driver was likely the thief and may be armed with a knife. When Edelbrock returned to the car, Lowe ran into an empty field toward north Silver Lake, Reagan said.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and Spokane Police Department major crimes divisions are both investigating the shooting.

In his home state, Lowe had at least two altercations with police. During one incident, he told officers he had a gun, then turned his back and acted like he was going to pull it. Lowe was shot twice in the back, officials in Montana said.

On another occasion, he was involved in an eight-hour standoff with police in a small town outside of Boise. Lowe told them he had a gun, then made sounds of a gunshot by banging metal against metal to keep the officers at bay, Montana officials said.

According to newspaper archives, the last time Edelbrock was involved in a shooting was in 1999 when he shot himself while cleaning a handgun. Edelbrock apparently pulled the trigger, sending a bullet through his left hand and left thigh and into his left calf.