Body camera not turned on in officer-involved shooting

One Spokane Police officer involved in the non-fatal shooting of a domestic violence suspect last weekend was wearing a body camera at the scene, but the camera was not turned on, according to an initial investigation. The suspect, Joseph E. Hensz, 20, led officers on a lengthy car chase, eventually crashing in the 2200 block of North Post Street. Hensz was driving over 100 miles per hour at times and almost crashed into an officer’s vehicle at one point, according to the investigation findings. The shooting occurred sometime after the crash, but no other information has been released. Hensz was transported to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and is currently in stable condition. The Washington State Patrol released preliminary investigation results Monday afternoon. They are investigating per protocol, which tasks another law enforcement agency with conducting independent investigations into officer-involved shootings. Spokane Police Chief Frank Straub announced at a public forum on Oct. 30 that the 17 officers wearing body cameras as part of the department’s pilot program would record every interaction they responded to, except in extenuating circumstances. The Spokesman-Review has reached out to the department seeking clarification on why the officer’s camera was not activated. Hensz was arrested for stalking, domestic violence stalking and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.