Death at Spokane homeless encampment under investigation

First responders found one person dead Monday afternoon in a tent at the homeless encampment at East Second Avenue and Ray Street, commonly known as Camp Hope, according to the Spokane Fire Department.

Spokane police and fire responded around 1:40 p.m. to a report of an unconscious adult inside a tent not breathing, said Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer.

Schaeffer said the individual’s condition was “beyond resuscitative measures.”

No other details were immediately available Monday afternoon. Schaeffer said the cause of death will be determined by the Spokane County Medical Examiner.

Earlier this year, 53-year-old Jeffrey Brown was found dead by first responders Jan. 30 after accidentally overdosing on multiple drugs, the medical examiner reported.

The camp, located on state Department of Transportation land, has been a point of contention since it was formed December 2021 in protest of the city’s response to homelessness.