Two Spokane police officers cleared in fatal downtown shooting of man with knife

Two Spokane police officers will not face criminal charges after they shot and killed an intoxicated suicidal man who walked toward officers with a knife last year in downtown Spokane.

The Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office determined officers Lee Barker, 38, and Seth Wolfe, 31, were “justified in their application of lethal force” against 35-year-old Oscar Venegas on Feb. 12, 2024, on Howard Street near Riverside Avenue, according to a Spokane County news release.

Both officers joined the department in 2019.

Venegas spoke on the phone with his Department of Corrections supervisor at about noon that day in downtown Spokane, the release said.

He told his supervisor he had been drinking, his daughter had died and he also wanted to die. He said he wanted to go out with “guns a-blazing” and also mentioned “suicide by cop,” according to the prosecutor’s office.

Venegas’ sister, Munique Venegas, said at the time her brother had been released from jail two months prior and was diagnosed with cancer.

An off-duty deputy U.S. Marshal, Michael McDowell, saw Oscar Venegas put a boxcutter-like knife to the throat of a security officer, who was standing near Wall Street and Riverside Avenue, the release said. McDowell approached Venegas and announced he was an off-duty law enforcement officer.

Venegas then changed his focus from the security officer to McDowell, who told the guard to call 911 as McDowell tried to keep distance between himself and Venegas.

Venegas followed McDowell, who backed away from Venegas to the area in front of 117 N. Howard St.

Along the way, McDowell kept a close eye on Venegas and the knife, while warning other passersby to stay away from him and warning them of the knife, the release said.

Arriving Spokane police officers ordered Venegas several times to drop the knife.

He eventually complied and dropped it, according to the release.

Two officers fired stun guns at Venegas, but the probes didn’t work. Venegas then looked down at the weapon, and police ordered him not to reach for it, according to the release.

Venegas, however, picked up the knife and “moved resolutely” toward officers, prosecutors said. That’s when Barker and Wolfe fired their guns several times, and Venegas fell to the ground. A third officer fired a stun guns as well.

Venegas was taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, where he died, the release said. He died from gunshot wounds, according to the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The release said toxicology testing showed Venegas’ ethanol level was 0.26.

Munique Venegas said at the time she wished there were better attempts to de-escalate the situation.

“They didn’t use pepper spray or a K9,” she said. “He was suicidal.”