Spokane police release name of officer who shot at man in December; no arrests made in underlying investigation

The Spokane Police Department Tuesday released the name of the officer who shot at a 24-year-old man in the Logan Neighborhood in early December.

Officer Garth Craigen shot at Brandon M. Dozier on Dec. 4.

Officers responded to a report of a suspicious Chevrolet Tahoe parked in an alley near the 1100 block of East Illinois Avenue, according to a Spokane Independent Investigative Response Team news release.

The caller thought Dozier, the man in the vehicle, might be associated with a “drug house” in the area. About 10 minutes later, the person called 911 again, saying someone in the car was yelling to call 911. The caller said Dozier was yelling about money and that there was a woman in the car.

Around 12:50 p.m., the woman walked away from the SUV, and Dozier, who appeared to have a gun in his hand, walked toward officers despite multiple commands to stop and drop the weapon, according to the release. Less than a minute later, Craigen fired a shot. It was unclear whether Dozier was struck by the bullet.

Dozier ran, after dropping a handgun-style BB gun, investigators said. Investigators searched for Dozier for hours but never found him.

Investigators released his name days later. He had not been arrested as of Tuesday afternoon.

Spokane police released Craigen’s name Tuesday at the request of The Spokesman-Review. Craigen was hired by Spokane police in April 2018. Craigen previously worked for the Missoula Police Department.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting as part of the Spokane Independent Investigative Response Team.