Suspect in shooting that critically injured man in Spokane Valley captured after chase

A 34-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after a shooting Sunday night in Spokane Valley.

Brian Riley was arrested later Sunday after the shooting on the 11700 block of East Seventh Avenue that left one victim in critical condition.

At the time of his arrest, Riley was wanted by Spokane police on suspicion that he helped hide the body of Juan Campos in a freezer. Campos had been shot in the back of the head and police have arrested a woman in the case. Riley denied being involved.

At his first court appearance Monday, Riley attempted to fire Betty Craipo, the public defender representing him. He also said that after he had refused to speak to policethey “forcibly obtained” DNA from him and put him on suicide watch and restrained him when he wasn’t suicidal.

The incident in Spokane Valley was initially reported at about 6 p.m. Sunday by a homeowner who said Riley came to his house asking for money and credit cards. The homeowner gave Riley permission to go upstairs, according to court documents show.

The homeowner heard a gunshot shortly after and called upstairs to ask who had fired the gun, court records say.

Riley told the homeowner that he shot the victim, according to Spokane County Sheriff’s investigators. Riley then pointed the gun at his own head and threatened to shoot himself, according to court documents.

The homeowner talked Riley out of killing himself and into leaving the house with him. The pair drove to the Maverik gas station on Argonne Road where the homeowner got out of the car, telling Riley that he needed cigarettes, according to investigators.

That’s when he told the clerk to call police. The homeowner then left through the back of the store and waited for deputies to arrive, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies arrived at the store shortly after, and the clerk pointed toward the blue Audi the men arrived in.

Riley drove away as deputies approached the car. They gave chase for a short time at speeds topping 85 mph. Deputies eventually ended their pursuit near Thierman Road and Sprague Avenue for the safety of the public, a sheriff’s office statement said. Deputies at the time assumed the suspect had planned to rob the gas station and were unaware of the earlier shooting on Seventh Avenue.

Once deputies were told Riley was a likely shooting suspect, they restarted their pursuit. Deputies later found the Audi in an alley near Pacific Avenue and Myrtle Street.

As deputies approached, Riley came out from behind a nearby building. Riley complied with commands and was taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies found a semi-automatic pistol magazine in Riley’s pocket and a handgun was visible in the car. Another semi-automatic pistol was found under a nearby parked car.

Riley has 14 prior felony convictions. He was booked into Spokane County Jail on charges of first-degree attempted murder, attempting to elude law enforcement and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.