Man shot by police convicted of assault

A Spokane jury on Wednesday convicted a 67-year-old man of assault against one of the deputies who shot him three times in 2009.

The jury convicted Donald J. Lafavor of one count of second-degree assault in connection with an incident on Nov. 28, 2009.

The verdict baffled Lafavor’s defense attorney, especially since Deputy Spokane County Prosecutor Patrick Johnson recently questioned the merit of pursuing the trial after a recent acquittal and a hung jury in two similar cases.

“I’m shocked and outraged,” defense attorney James Kirkham said. “That’s the worst read I’ve ever had on a jury.”

Read the rest of Tom Clouse’s story here.

Past coverage:

Dec. 9: .354 DUI suspect ‘Not enough’ booze