Prosecutor says Kalispel officer was justified in June shooting at Northern Quest

The Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office says a Kalispel tribal police office was justified when he shot at a fleeing suspect in the parking lot of Northern Quest Resort & Casino in June.

Officer Daniel Dice fired one shot at 19-year-old Zachary Craig on the afternoon of June 22 after Craig allegedly struck several vehicles with an SUV outside the casino in Airway Heights, including police vehicles driven by Dice and Officer Jay Hughes.

The episode began when a casino security guard approached Craig, who was “cashing out slot machines that people had left money in,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement Monday. When the security guard asked him to show identification, Craig said his ID was in his car.

In an interview with The Spokesman-Review days after the incident, Craig said he had been trying to retrieve only 7 cents from the slot machine, and that he offered to retrieve his ID from his car. He admitted he fled when the security guard asked him to meet in a back room of the casino.

Craig previously had been barred from the casino. While the state’s minimum gambling age is 18, Northern Quest does not allow anyone younger than 21 to use its tables and slot machines.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the security guard used his radio to provide a description of Craig while Craig ran into the parking lot and attempted to drive away in an SUV. The incident was reported to police as a case of theft and trespassing.

Officers Dice and Hughes attempted to block the SUV as Craig drove down a row of parked cars. The SUV struck Dice’s vehicle first, then two cars parked nearby. The prosecutor’s office said Craig attempted to flee again, placing the SUV in reverse and nearly hitting Dice’s vehicle a second time.

While accelerating in reverse, Craig struck the front of Hughes’ vehicle, and Dice exited his vehicle with his gun drawn, according to the prosecutor’s office. Officers yelled at Craig to stop.

“As Craig turned his vehicle again towards Dice, Dice raised his weapon and fired a single round at Craig,” the prosecutor’s office said.

The bullet went through the front passenger window of the SUV, and Craig was arrested shortly afterward. He initially refused medical attention, according to the prosecutor’s office, but later claimed the bullet had grazed his right side.

Craig was charged with intending to commit second-degree assault and attempting to elude police. He was held in the Spokane County Jail in lieu of a $100,000 bond. Both charges were dropped on June 30, according to online court records.

Monday’s announcement from the prosecutor’s office means Dice will not face charges for shooting at Craig.

“Under the facts and circumstances presented at the time, KTP Officer Dice was justified in his use of deadly force,” the prosecutor’s office said, because he “had an objective good-faith belief in the correctness of his actions.”