Armed man wounded by police fired eleven shots

Charging documents say Craig S. Burton, the man shot by a Spokane police officer last week, fired a 40 caliber handgun 11 times as officers approached his home on Ash Street via an alley. Officers Christopher Benesch, Adam Potter and Jake Jensen were called to Burton’s home on the evening of May 6 by his girlfriend’s mother, who told police he was armed and possibly suicidal. Officers entered the alley at 10:09 p.m. and heard gunshots, as well as a man’s voice yelling, “Do it!” They took cover behind vehicles in the alley. The narrative in the charging documents is not clear about where Burton was aiming his gun while shooting. Potter reported via radio that Burton was “shooting at us,” but there’s no other mention of where he was pointing the gun. Burton came out of the yard into the alley seven minutes later holding a pistol in his left hand, court documents say. Benesch and Potter approached him and told him to put his hands up and drop the gun, but he refused. The officers fired, hitting Burton once. Medics transported him to Sacred Heart Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition as of May 8. Court documents say he told an officer he “just wanted to die” while in the ambulance. Sacred Heart Medical Center said Monday morning they could not release any information about Burton or confirm he was in the hospital, but Spokane County Sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Mark Gregory said Burton is still in the hospital. Detectives recovered 11 .40 cartridge casings in the driveway behind Burton’s house. Burton’s name was added to the jail roster on May 9 for three first-degree assault charges. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting as part of the Spokane Investigative Regional Response team, which investigates deadly uses of force.