Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Man dies Saturday night after Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies use stun gun to subdue him

A man died Saturday night while Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to subdue him at a home near the Idaho border.

At about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, deputies responded to a home in the 5900 block of North Canal Road in Newman Lake after a family member reported a man was screaming, out of control and breaking items in the house, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

The caller told deputies they were scared to go down to the basement where the man was high on an unknown drug.

Deputies and Liberty Lake Police officers have responded to similar calls recently and the man was aggressive and uncooperative, according to a Sheriff’s Department statement.

When deputies arrived Saturday, the man had barricaded himself in the basement.

Deputies used a stun gun to subdue the man; however, it took several deputies to restrain him.

After the man was handcuffed, he became unresponsive and stopped breathing, the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

CPR was started immediately, however the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three deputies involved are on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Spokane Regional Investigative Response Team (SIRR).

The Washington State Patrol is the lead investigative agency in the death, according to the news release.

The name of the deceased man will be released by the Spokane County Medical Examiner “at a later date when appropriate,” according to the Sheriff’s Department.

The names of the involved officers will also be released at a later time.