Man with murder conviction suspected of pulling gun during Spokane Valley road rage

A man convicted of murder as a teenager two decades ago and his passenger were arrested in connection with a Spokane Valley road rage incident Saturday afternoon.

Officers responded to a call that a man had allegedly pulled a pistol on the victim during at East Montgomery Avenue and North Pines Road.

The suspect, 40-year-old Travis Lang, was driving a white Ford Escape with an Idaho plate and had a female passenger in the car. The victim told officers he was driving behind the SUV when the suspect slammed his brakes. The victim narrowly avoided crashing into the SUV, the news release said.

The suspect then pulled into a parking lot on North Pines Road, and the victim followed him. The victim got out of his car and headed towards the SUV. He told officers Lang appeared upset and grabbed what appeared to be a pistol, based on the victim’s experience with firearms, and cocked it. He returned to his car, drove away and called law enforcement.

Lang drove away southbound on North Pines Road, the report said.

A deputy saw a car that matched the description of the call and attempted to pull it over. The SUV didn’t stop until an additional patrol car pulled in front and Lang was detained, the report said.

Sarah Dodge, 37, called Spokane Regional Emergency Communications as Lang was detained, and identified herself as his passenger during the incident . Dodge was also detained.

Deputies found approximately 3.8 grams of fentanyl, 5.0 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, an empty pistol magazine and a pistol holster from the SUV.

Lang was booked into the Spokane County Jail, where he is being held on a $75,000 bond.

It was later discovered that Lang is a convicted murderer for the 2002 stabbing death of a man over a $200 drug debt. He was 16 at the time.

He is now charged with possession of a stolen firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm and intimidation with a weapon.

Dodge was also sent to the county jail and is being held on a $10,000 bond for unrelated charges of theft of a motor vehicle, identity theft, possession of stolen property, possession of a stolen firearm and trafficking in stolen property.