Friends’ falling-out leads to shooting, pistol-whipping

A man apparently turned against two longtime friends late Wednesday night, allegedly pistol-whipping one and shooting the other in the parking lot of the Spokane Valley Buffalo Wild Wings.

Chad A. Dobson, 42, was arrested and booked into the Spokane County Jail on suspicion of two counts of first-degree assault.

Dobson called the victim and asked to meet at the restaurant because he was unhappy with how the victim was treating his estranged wife during his divorce, according to court documents. The victim agreed to the meeting and brought a mutual friend along to serve as a witness.

The two men initially met inside the restaurant but were asked to leave after they began arguing. When they went outside, Dobson allegedly grew angry when he saw the third man waiting in a car, the victim told police.

When the third man attempted to intervene in their argument, Dobson reportedly hit the man in the head several times with the butt of his gun, according to court documents. The man told police that Dobson then pointed the gun at his face and told him to leave, court documents state.

As the witness was backing his car away, Dobson approached the victim and shot him in the right hand, which the victim had raised to try to ward off the gun, according to court documents. The victim ran inside the restaurant and both he and Dobson called 911. During his 911 call Dobson admitted shooting the victim, court documents state.

The gun was found in Dobson’s pocket after deputies arrived. Both the shooting victim and the witness were treated for their injuries.

All three men told police that they were longtime friends.