Two dead in Spokane Valley crime spree, including suspect and good Samaritan who intervened

Police shot and killed a man in Spokane Valley after he went on a crime spree Sunday morning that included killing a good Samaritan, stealing a family’s vehicle and intentionally hitting a motorcyclist with it, officials said.

The crime spree started across the state line in Kootenai County around 8:30 a.m. Sheriff Bob Norris said at a news conference that a call came in saying a suspect stole a vehicle from a father and daughter on East Sprague Avenue near Whistle Stop Coffee Shop and then fled east toward Idaho.

Police chased after the stolen Dodge Challenger, and a news release said the suspect reached an estimated 140 mph.

In the Stateline area, deputies said the suspect was doing donuts with the stolen vehicle before seeing a motorcyclist and intentionally striking him. Norris said the motorcyclist was moderately injured but will be OK.

The suspect attempted to steal multiple other vehicles, and at one point a bystander tried to help one of the car owners, when the suspect pulled out an AR-15-style rifle, shooting and killing the bystander, Norris said.

The suspect then fled back west on Interstate 90 toward Spokane Valley and allegedly shot out a window at a pursuing law enforcement car. Officers deployed a spike strip, which flattened the suspect’s tires, but he continued to drive around 80 mph before crashing into a bystander’s vehicle and a Washington State Trooper car that was there for an unrelated crash. The man got out of the vehicle at the intersection of Trent Avenue and Pines Road carrying a firearm. Officers then opened fire, killing him. He was given medical aid, the release said, but was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff’s office said the suspect’s name will be released by the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office, along with details on the death.

Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said the suspect did not have a strong criminal background and the motive for the crime is unknown. Police will continue to investigate, and the road was expected to remain closed until that is complete.

“I want to emphasize how professionally, how swiftly and how decisively law enforcement acted in this very dangerous moment,” Nowels said. “They didn’t hesitate, and I’m very proud of them.