This day in history: Police shooting of Safeway robber was determined to be justified. Boy injured on coaster wagon

From 1975: A Spokane police detective shot and killed Johnny D. Jones, 33, after police confronted him for robbing a downtown Safeway store. The detective and witnesses said they thought Jones fired the first shot.

Now, however, investigators discovered that Jones’ revolver had fired no shots.

The Spokane County lieutenant investigating the incident still believed that the Spokane detective was justified in firing the fatal shot, because Jones “had turned and drawn a revolver before the detective fired.”

Jones’ revolver had been stolen from the Two Swabbies store a day before and was loaded with two live rounds.

From 1925: Albert Pritchard, 9, was kneeling on one knee in his “coaster wagon” and propelling it with his other leg when he tried to cross Mission Avenue. He was struck by a car and seriously injured.

The driver said he slowed down when he saw the boy, but the boy “suddenly dashed out in front of me.”

The boy suffered a depressed skull fracture and was rushed to Deaconess Hospital where he was in serious condition.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1877: Henry Ossian Flipper becomes first Black graduate from West Point.

1940: Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp opens in Nazi-controlled Poland.

1953: President Dwight D. Eisenhower condemns Rep. Joe McCarthy’s book-burning proposal.