Police still trying to identify man accused of setting man on fire in downtown Spokane

No one has been arrested for dousing a man with gasoline and setting him on fire last month beneath the railroad viaduct on Browne Street.

The victim, whose name has not been released, remained Wednesday at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to Spokane Police Officer Daniel Strassenberg. He didn’t know the man’s official condition.

Strassenberg said investigators have been unable to interview the hospitalized man because he’s unable to speak due to his serious injuries.

Officers were flagged down shortly before 3 p.m. Sept. 17 near the Browne Street viaduct, located just south of Sprague Avenue, and found a man with significant injuries, police said in a news release at the time. Witnesses reported the suspect walked up, doused the victim with gasoline, set him on fire and left .

The victim sustained severe burns to a large part of his body, according to police. He was taken to a local hospital for emergency treatment before being flown to Harborview.

The man who set the victim on fire was described as wearing baggy jeans, no shirt and possibly carrying a tan backpack, police said.

Strassenberg said while police don’t know who the culprit is, the victim made statements indicating he knew his attacker.

Detectives are investigating and ask that anyone with information on the assault or the suspect’s whereabouts call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233 and reference incident No. 2025-20191685.