Spokane police officer charged with vehicular assault

A Spokane police officer has been charged with two counts of vehicular assault, based on a recommendation from the Washington State Patrol.

While a Wednesday news release from the Spokane Police Department described some elements of the crash, it did not indicate what Officer Michael Brunner did that led to the charges. A spokesperson for the department said she was unable to provide further detail either.

“SPD had enough concern about possible criminal charges that we turned it over immediately to an outside agency,” SPD spokesperson Julie Humphreys said. “Then it went to investigation, so we can’t speak about it after that, and that’s standard procedure.”

The release said Brunner was involved in a three-car accident on Lincoln Street and Fifth Avenue on March 25.

Brunner was on duty driving northbound on Lincoln Street in his police car when a civilian car ran a stop sign, crossing Lincoln Street from east to west along Fifth Avenue. The release says Brunner was unable to bring his vehicle to a stop before colliding with the driver’s side of the civilian vehicle.

After the initial impact, the civilian vehicle hit another car parked on a nearby curb.

Brunner and the citizen driver were injured, and medical staff at the nearby Deaconess Hospital ran outside to immediately aid the officer and other driver.

Spokane firefighters pulled the citizen driver from their car, and both the officer and citizen were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The day of the accident, SPD contacted the Washington State Patrol to investigate. SPD placed Brunner on administrative leave the day after the accident.

WSP forwarded a recommendation of vehicular assault to the Spokane County prosecutor’s office, which charged Brunner with two counts of vehicular assault, the release says. Brunner is scheduled for a first court appearance on July 15.

When the criminal case concludes, SPD will initiate an internal investigation, according to the release.