Three troopers, one deputy involved in shooting that killed crime spree suspect
Three Washington State Patrol troopers and one Spokane County Sheriff’s Office deputy were involved in the shooting that killed 43-year-old Ryan Tietsort during a deadly crime spree on June 15 in Spokane Valley, according to WSP Sgt. Greg Riddell.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that Deputy Kyle Felix was the lone shooter from the sheriff’s office. Riddell told The Spokesman-Review Monday that three troopers also were involved, but Riddell declined to release their names.
Riddell said the troopers are on “investigative reassignment,” meaning they are working but none are on patrol.
Tietsort carjacked a driver that Sunday morning on East Sprague Avenue in Spokane Valley before driving away at “incredibly dangerous speeds” on Interstate 90 into Idaho, according to a Spokane Independent Investigative Response Team news release.
In Kootenai County, Tietsort struck a motorcyclist, Richard Embree, who was taken to the hospital and died a few days later, according to authorities. Tietsort also shot and killed Gary Hill, who tried helping a victim of Tietsort’s other carjacking in Idaho.
Now driving another stolen vehicle, Tietsort drove back into Spokane County, investigators said. The suspect carjacked another vehicle, a gray truck, in the area of Wellesley Avenue and McKinzie Road, the SIIR release said.
Tietsort was reportedly firing a gun, but it is unclear at whom he was shooting, and no injuries were reported from the incident, according to investigators.
WSP troopers deployed spike strips at Trent and Pines, and Tietsort, continuing to drive at high speeds, struck another motorist in the intersection before colliding with one of the WSP vehicles that was parked at the intersection.
Tietsort got out of the car and ran to the disabled WSP patrol vehicle, taking cover behind it and reportedly still firing his weapon when law enforcement returned fire, police said.
The Spokane Police Department is investigating the officer shooting.