Shots fired during car chase

Spokane Valley police are investigating a Sunday night shooting that apparently escalated from the occupants of two vehicles flashing different hand gestures at each other.

No one was hit by the half-dozen shots fired about 9:30 p.m., but at least one bullet penetrated the walls of a home in the 8100 block of East Harrington Avenue, said Spokane Valley police spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan.

The incident began when two cars pulled up to a red light at Dishman-Mica Road and Appleway Boulevard. The occupants in the suspect vehicle began flashing hand gestures in the shape of a “C” at the occupants of the victim vehicle.

One of the victim vehicle’s occupants “flipped off” the other vehicle’s occupants and that car began chasing the victim vehicle when the light changed.

At one point, the suspects’ car rammed the victim vehicle causing minor damage. The victims had nearly eluded their pursuers when they heard a series of shots being fired. They drove to a pizza parlor on South Dishman Road and waited for police.

Not long afterward, a resident on East Harrington Avenue called 911 and reported his home had been hit by a bullet. Officer Jason Karnitz went there and recovered a spent bullet from the floor inside the home.

Officers were contacted by a security guard working in the area of Sipple Road and East First and he pointed out the area where he saw the chase under way and heard the shots. Six bullet casings were found in the roadway.

The suspect vehicle was described as an older white “boxy-type” car, possibly a late-80s or early-90s Buick or Oldsmobile. It should have damage to its driver-side front fender and bumper.

The two suspects in the car were described only as white males, possibly in their 20s. The driver wore a white shirt and had short hair. The passenger had on a dark or black shirt and short hair, and might have been wearing a black beanie cap.