Good morning, Netizens...

Now let's have a sensible discussion about the Deputy Brian Hirzel and the resulting death of Pastor Wayne Scott Creach. After reading a number of blog post comments regarding the confrontation that took place in the parking lot of Creach's business, The Plant Farm, we still do not know precisely what took place that ill-fated night. We appear to have a lot of speculation, but the facts are few.

Hearing what he thought was a prowler, Pastor Creach grabbed his pistol and went outside to see what was going on, whereupon he was shot in the chest by Hirzel and died shortly thereafter.

During the hours afterward, Knezovich announced that Hirzel would not be making a public statement regarding Creach's death for 48 hours; Detectives from the Spokane Police Department and Washington State Patrol officers would be involved in investigating the shooting because of a protocol negotiated by the Police Union. Knezovich also pointed out that even without the protocol Hirzel could exercise his constitutional right to not speak with detectives.

Two days passed before Knezovich mentioned that Hirzel had departed on vacation and was not available to police detectives.

According to Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich Deputy Hirzel scheduled his vacation in December or January, and left the day after the shooting for points unknown. There is the matter of cost-prohibitive plane tickets and travel costs that Hirzel would have to pay and as a result, Knezovich allowed Hirzel to take his vacation.

Thus the interview between Hirzel and detectives was put on hold until his return Friday morning.

Will we have an answer then about what took place outside The Plant Farm? Perhaps, perhaps not. It is most-troublesome that two days passed before anyone knew of Deputy Hirzel's previously-unannounced vacation. Did Ozzie know about it at the time he made the statement about when the investigation would take place? We don't know that.

So now we wait, perhaps to see what actually took place. My suggestion is, given past investigations by the Spokane Police Department, don't hold your breath.

Dave

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