Region in brief: Officers involved in shooting ID’d
Two Spokane Valley police officers involved in the shooting Saturday of an armed 65-year-old man were identified Thursday.
Officers Ryan Walter and Rustin Olson responded to a domestic dispute call at an apartment at 8910 E. Broadway Ave., according to the Spokane Police Department, which is investigating the incident.
When authorities arrived, Donald J. Lafavor answered the door armed with a revolver, and the two officers fired on him. Investigators found eight spent shell casings at the scene, according to court documents.
Walter and Olson were hired in 2006. They have been on leave since the shooting but will return to regular patrol duties Monday, officials said.
Lafavor, 65, remained in serious condition at a Spokane hospital.
Vaccine doses ease shortfall
About 1.4 million doses of swine flu vaccine have been shipped into Washington state, easing a shortfall that led to big lines and mass clinics when vaccinations first were offered. The numbers, released Thursday, follow a decline in cases of people sickened by the H1N1 influenza virus.
Health officials have attempted to ensure those most at risk of serious illness get vaccinated first. In Washington, people are urged to call their health care providers for an appointment or a referral.
In North Idaho, the Panhandle Health District will offer vaccination clinics that are open to anyone younger than 65. The clinics will be offered Dec. 12 at multiple sites. Call a toll-free appointment line at (877) 415-5225 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday to receive the exact locations.
Palin adds stop in Sandpoint
Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will make an additional stop in North Idaho on her book tour to promote “Going Rogue: An American Life.”
Palin, the former Alaska governor who was born in Sandpoint, will sign copies of her book at the Sandpoint Business & Events Center from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 10, following an event at Fred Meyer in Coeur d’Alene.
Those wishing to attend the Sandpoint signing must buy a copy of the book in advance from Vanderford’s Books & Office in Sandpoint. The store is accepting pre-orders now for a shipment that will arrive Dec. 9, owner Marcia Vanderford said. The book sells for $28.95.
Vanderford’s can be reached at (208) 263-2417.
Homeless baby, mom doing well
VANCOUVER, Wash. – Officials said the baby girl born in a Vancouver homeless camp and the 18-year-old who gave birth in a tent appeared to be in good health.
The baby was born in near-freezing temperatures early Wednesday at the camp in the Discovery Trail corridor.
The Vancouver Columbian reports firefighters, Clark County sheriff’s deputies and an ambulance crew stomped a path through thick brush and cut open a chain link fence to put the mother and child in an ambulance on Highway 500. They were taken to Southwest Medical Center.
Man charged with helping Clemmons
SEATTLE – A half brother of the man accused of gunning down four police officers in a coffee shop in Washington state was charged Thursday with helping him elude capture.
Rickey Hinton, 47, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment to three counts of first-degree rendering criminal assistance. Pierce County Superior Court Judge Frederick Flemming ordered him held on $2 million bail.
Court documents accuse Hinton of lying to police Sunday when they stopped him for questioning near the property owned by Maurice Clemmons where Hinton lived. Police say Hinton claimed he hadn’t heard from Clemmons and didn’t know where he was. He also denied any knowledge of the shooting, court records said.