Officer shoots man

Moments after a Spokane police sergeant radioed that he needed help, he shot and killed a man who punched him in the face, investigators said.

As of late Saturday, the name of the dead man and the police officer, who was an on-duty patrol shift sergeant, had not been released.

Because a Spokane police officer was involved in the shooting, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office will conduct the investigation.

The incident took place about 10:15 a.m. Saturday just east of downtown Spokane, near the intersection of Cowley Street and Short Avenue.

The sergeant witnessed some suspicious activity and attempted to contact the man involved, who then ran, said sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan.

“When the fellow ran, that compounded his (the sergeant’s) suspicion,” Reagan said.

The sergeant chased after the man, caught him, and they fought.

Spokane police officer John Gately said the sergeant alerted dispatchers that he needed help. Minutes later, he called again saying he needed help right away.

Shots were fired, Gately said.

Photos, provided to the newspaper by Montana resident Pom Collins, who was at a nearby business and watched as police interviewed the sergeant, show the officer with blood on his chin.

Gately said the sergeant was treated and released at a local hospital.

The name of the sergeant won’t be divulged for 72 hours, Reagan said. That’s common police practice, he added.

The sergeant has been placed on administrative leave.

As for the suspicious activity that initiated the incident, Reagan said “I’m not ready to reveal what that was at this point.”

The shooting took place in an area made up of small businesses including an orthotic and prosthetic company, a clothing store, and a small tea and antique shop.

It’s a neighborhood that’s often patrolled by law enforcement due to crime in the area, according to Tim Feldman, an employee at a real estate company located at 159 S. Cowley St.

When police arrived, the man’s body was found behind the Spokane Street Motel on Short Avenue, an alley-like street littered with plastic bags, bottles and other rubbish.

Officers found items of identification on the man, “but we’re not convinced that this identification belongs to him,” Reagan said. He didn’t disclose the address found on the identification.

“It’s important that we know the identity before we make any statements,” he said.

Several residents at the Spokane Street Motel said they didn’t learn about the shooting until police cars suddenly surrounded the area and barricaded streets with yellow tape.