Man shot by Spokane police in 2017 charged in two drive-by shootings from this year
A Spokane Valley man has been charged in two Spokane drive-by shootings, including one in January that police described as a “gun battle” between occupants of two vehicles on Sprague Avenue and Crestline Street.
Antonio M. Davis, 29, was charged last week with suspicion of two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of drive-by shooting. He remained Wednesday in the Spokane County Jail on a $275,000 bond, which also included charges of possession of a stolen firearm and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
Davis was shot by Spokane police in September 2017. Prosecutors ruled the shooting justified.
Spokane police responded to the first shootout around 5:30 p.m. Jan. 31, according to a probable cause affidavit filed last week in Spokane County Superior Court. No one was struck by gunfire even though there were pedestrians and “heavy vehicle traffic” in the area at the time.
Officers recovered 39 shell casings from three firearms from the scene and documented damage from gunfire in the area, according to documents. The shell casings near the silver minivan were .40 caliber and 9 mm, and the casings near the red Nissan Altima were 9 mm. The Altima, registered to Davis’ wife, was likely used by Davis, court records said.
Around 11:15 p.m. April 3, officers responded to a reported drive-by shooting at 51 S. Madelia St. A witness told police Davis was involved in the shooting, which was the result of a fight between Davis and another man.
Fourteen 9 mm shell casings were discovered at the scene. Police believe the 9 mm Davis allegedly used in the Madelia Street shooting was also used in the Sprague Avenue shooting.
Another witness told police the shooter fired about seven shots near the Madelia Street residence and then chased someone away before firing six or seven more shots.
A third witness said in the documents he heard the shots from his house and then saw a male running alongside a black SUV, possibly a Jeep. The male got into the passenger seat of the vehicle and it drove away.
Davis engaged in a long standoff with Spokane County Sheriff’s Office deputies on May 15 at a Spokane Valley apartment complex. He was eventually taken into custody and charged with suspicion of two counts of residential burglary, two counts of violation of a court order and fourth-degree assault.
During a search of the apartment, police found a 9 mm Smith and Wesson handgun and two 9 mm Smith and Wesson handgun magazines hidden inside the toilet tank in the bathroom. The handgun had been reported stolen. The pistol was test fired and the cartridge case matched shell casings recovered from the scenes of the Sprague shooting and Madelia shooting, according to documents.