Officer who shot Spokane man was decorated Army captain
The officer who shot and killed a Spokane man on Jan. 7 has been identified as Brandon Rankin.
The man shot and killed was David Novak. According to police reports and interviews with witnesses, Novak was reported to have been holding and firing a gun, but evidence and one neighbor who saw the shooting suggest he was instead holding a baseball bat.
Rankin has worked for the Spokane Police Department since May 2015, according to a department news release.
Rankin is a decorated Army veteran.
The investigation into Novak’s death is being handled by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.