Two injured in Spokane police shooting near NorthTown Mall

A Spokane police officer shot and injured a man and a woman after responding to a 911 call for a suspected court order violation Friday afternoon, three blocks north of the NorthTown Mall, according to Police Chief Kevin Hall.

Hall said officers were called shortly after 1:50 p.m. to a home on the 200 block of East Sanson Avenue for the alleged violation.

A female called 911 advising of a disturbance involving a male at the residence, according to a Spokane police news release. The caller also told 911 there was a protection order between the two and that she was being threatened.

Besides the female caller, information provided to 911 indicated there were children in the home, the release said. A hammer was mentioned as possibly being involved during the 911 call.

Officers arrived at the home two minutes after the call was made, according to police.

They entered the home after hearing screaming from inside. After making “contact” with the male suspect, an officer fired his gun, striking the suspect and a woman, police said.

Hall said three officers were inside the home at the time of the shooting, but only one fired a gun.

Hall said he wasn’t “at liberty to disclose” what instigated the shooting, but the officer felt threatened and used deadly force.

Both shooting victims were taken to the hospital and were expected to survive, Hall said.

He said there were no outstanding suspects and no danger to the community related to the shooting. No officers were injured.

Hall said he didn’t know the relationship between the victims.

Even though one officer fired a gun, all three officers inside the home will be placed on administrative leave, Hall said.

“It’s just as traumatic for officers who witnessed an incident as opposed to the officer who actually discharged their weapon,” Hall said of placing the officers on leave. “So, we err on the side of caution under the mental wellness and behavioral health.”

Yellow and red crime scene tape and white and orange wooden street blockades blocked streets and alleys at the corner of Sanson Avenue and Lidgerwood Street. Several police cars and officers were at the scene.

A few interested residents watched from just outside the cordoned-off area.

The Spokane Independent Investigative Response Team will investigate the shooting, and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office will serve as the managing agency.

Spokane police will not be involved in the investigation. The department will release the names of the involved officers at a later date, police said in the release.

Once the investigation is complete, the case will be forwarded to the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office for review.