9 police officers shoot at man on Spokane's South Hill

Feb. 1—Nine Spokane police officers fired their weapons at a man police say raised a handgun at them Wednesday night on the South Hill.

Acting Police Chief Justin Lundgren told reporters police received a call at about 6:05 p.m. from a person who reported a man had passed a note to him indicating he was suicidal and had a pistol in his hand.

The man and the person who received the note were in the area of Stevens Street and Cliff Drive, which is on the edge of Edwidge Woldson Park in the Cliff-Cannon Neighborhood.

Lundgren said the man threatened the reporting party, who then called 911. Officers located the man and gave him multiple commands to drop his gun, which he had in his hand.

"The man did not comply, and on at least two occasions, he raised the weapon in the direction of officers, which resulted in officers firing in response," Lundgren said.

He said nine officers, who were uninjured, fired their weapons.

Officers provided medical aid to the man, who was taken to a local hospital. Lundgren said he did not know the man's condition at the hospital.

The shooting marked the second in two days involving law enforcement in Spokane County.

Spokane County Sheriff's Office deputies shot and killed a man Tuesday night in north Spokane after the sheriff's office said he harassed and threatened a neighbor and was uncooperative with deputies.

Deputies breached the front door of the home the male was in and the suspect "aggressed on (deputies) and shots were fired," Sheriff John Nowels said.

Several law enforcement vehicles, including Spokane police and sheriff's office, with their flashing blue and red lights were present for several hours Wednesday night in the area of the South Hill shooting scene.

Those vehicles, yellow crime scene tape and orange and white street department barricades blocked surrounding streets as law enforcement investigated.

The nine officers who fired their guns will be placed on administrative leave per standard officer-involved shooting protocol, Lundgren said.

The Spokane Independent Investigative Response Team is investigating. The sheriff's office is serving as the leading investigating agency.