Man shot on Appleway Trail says he was jumped, while shooter says he fired in self-defense

The man who was shot Friday night in Spokane Valley said he was “jumped” by three others, including the shooter, before he was shot three times, according to search warrant documents.

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Dontrell D. Dale claimed the shooting was in self-defense and the victim pointed a rifle at him first. Dale was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault and possession of a stolen firearm.

The victim suffered broken bones after being shot in his right forearm, court documents said. Another round pierced his chest and armpit area on his right side before puncturing his lung and exiting his back.

The third round appeared to enter the right side of his chin and exit the back of his jaw line on the right side of his face. His jaw was broken and requires surgery.

All rounds, which were 9 mm, went through the man’s body, documents said.

The man was in “stable to fair condition” at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, according to documents.

Spokane Valley deputies responded around 11:40 p.m. to the 15900 block of East Fourth Avenue for the shooting, according to a Spokane Valley Police Department news release.

The man who was shot told a detective he was walking east on the Appleway Trail when Dale, a 14-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy approached him near Conklin Road. Documents state the 14-year-old threatened to kill the victim a week before over “pills.”

The victim said he saw the 14-year-old give a black Glock pistol to Dale on Friday night. The victim told police the teen tried to fight him but he did not want to fight because of the teen’s young age.

The victim said he picked up a black semi-automatic rifle from the ground, not knowing who put it there. The victim asked if it was real, pointed it down the trail and tried to fire it.

The gun did not fire because the safety was on, documents said. He said he never pointed the rifle toward anyone.

Dale and the two teens then “jumped” the victim, punching him multiple times, and tried to get the rifle away from him, according to documents.

Dale fired the Glock pistol at him, striking him in the forearm, the victim said. He said Dale fired the pistol two more times, hitting him in the chest and face.

The victim ran toward the Eastgate Apartments, 15913 E. Fourth Ave., where he was contacted by authorities and taken to the hospital.

Deputies detained Dale and the two teens at Pope Francis Haven Apartments, 16412 E. Sprague Ave., about 200 yards from the shooting scene, according to documents.

Documents said Dale initially denied involvement in the shooting, then admitted to shooting the victim with a pistol. He told a detective the shooting was in self-defense and that the victim pointed a rifle at him first.

The pistol and rifle were located outside near the shooting scene. The police release said one of the firearms was reported stolen June 28.

Dale made his first court appearance Monday and is scheduled for an arraignment Oct. 4 in front of Spokane County Superior Court Judge Tony Hazel. He remained Tuesday in the Spokane County Jail with bond set at $500,000 .

The release said one of the minors was arrested on an Idaho felony warrant and the second teen was not charged.