Spokane honors killed state trooper with lowered flags

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown announced Wednesday that employees will lower flags to half-staff at all city facilities to honor a Washington State Patrol trooper who was killed on Dec. 19 as she worked a highway collision in Tacoma.

Brown’s gesture followed a directive by Gov. Bob Ferguson to do the same for flags at state facilities to remember Trooper Tara-Marysa Guting, who was killed earlier this month. The flags will be lowered on Friday.

Brown also encourages anyone with a flag outside their homes or businesses to join in the recognition of the fallen trooper.

About 7:25 p.m. on Dec. 19, Guting got out of her patrol car to investigate a collision on the on-ramp from Port of Tacoma Road to southbound state Route 509 when Guting was struck by a passing car.

The impact threw her into the right lane of the highway where a passing pickup also hit her.

The trooper died from injuries suffered by both impacts. She was 29.

The driver who initially struck Guting stopped and cooperated with police. Tacoma Police later announced they had found and impounded the pickup but were still seeking to locate its driver.

Guting was born in Honolulu to Russell and Cheryl Hirata. She enlisted in the Army National Guard in October 2014 and served until October 2022, according to a previous news release. She joined the State Patrol in 2024.

Also on Wednesday, the Washington State Patrol announced a memorial for Guting that will take place Saturday at the Life Center Central Campus at 1717 S. Union Ave. in Tacoma.

“As space may be limited, the event will be live streamed with links made available prior to the event,” WSP spokesman Chris Loftis wrote in a news release. “The family wishes to thank the public for the many condolences received and the widespread outpouring of support.”

The Seattle Times contributed to this report.