Prosecuting attorney
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Tucker (R) | 85,826 | 53.53% |
| Frank Malone (D) | 74,520 | 46.47% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
The Candidates
Complete Coverage
Clark: Tucker made right call in a sad case
So the verdict is finally in. Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker will NOT charge the sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed an elderly Spokane Valley pastor last August.
Creach case hinges on self-defense claim
In principle, it seems clear that a 74-year-old pastor on his own property should not die as a result of an encounter with law enforcement, as Wayne Scott Creach did in August. Since then, Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich called the incident a “very unfortunate death,” and Creach’s family and the wider community have been asking for answers.
Woman can’t shake felony’s impact
Kristin Bell had what she calls a moment of weakness that has turned into a 2 1/2-year legal nightmare and forced her to give up a dream of ever working as a grade-school teacher. Bell, 24, admits that she foolishly stole $163 worth of items in 2008 from a craft store in Cheney. But it’s what happened on her way to her car that forever changed her life and sparked a legal debate that continues today.
Example guides new head pastor after fatal shooting
The Rev. Eric Walsh was living in McKenzie, Tenn., when he heard in late 2009 about an opening at Greenacres Baptist Church in Spokane Valley. Walsh got the job, and had been settled here with his family just eight months when his title abruptly changed from associate pastor to pastor. That’s when he was asked to fill in for the man who 40 years ago founded the Southern Baptist church in Spokane Valley: Wayne Scott Creach.
Recent police shootings raise notion of inquests
Nearly four months after their father was shot to death by a deputy sheriff in Spokane Valley, sons of Wayne Scott Creach are still looking for answers. Police detectives investigating the case told them in September to stop calling. They haven’t heard from prosecutors reviewing the circumstances surrounding the fatal Aug. 25 shooting. The deputy involved, Brian Hirzel, remains on desk duty until a decision is made about whether the shooting was justified.
Police investigate burglary at Creach son’s house
Spokane Valley police were searching Wednesday for at least three intruders who ransacked the home of Ernie Creach, son of slain Spokane Valley pastor Wayne Scott Creach. Ernie Creach said his wife, Laura, arrived at their home Wednesday with their two young children and saw people inside the house near Eighth Avenue and Best Street.
Stevens says he voted for Malone
Dave Stevens, a Republican who lost his bid this summer for Spokane County prosecutor to incumbent Republican Steve Tucker and Democrat Frank Malone, said Wednesday that he cast his vote for Malone in the Nov. 2 election.
Decision on Creach shooting charges unlikely before election
Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker is asking voters for another four years in office at the same time he is trying to decide whether to bring charges in a controversial police shooting that killed a local pastor. Democratic challenger Frank Malone, 67, previously suggested that Tucker – a former Washington State Patrol trooper – turn over the decision about the Aug. 25 shooting of Wayne Scott Creach by a Spokane County sheriff’s deputy to a prosecutor from a different county.
Spokane County prosecutor race
The shooting of a pastor in Spokane Valley has dominated the discussion of the race for Spokane County prosecutor after incumbent Steve Tucker survived a challenge by two other Republicans for the chance at first-time Democrat Frank Malone.
Prosecuter receives Creach autopsy
The autopsy report of pastor Wayne Scott Creach has been turned over to Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker, but it does little to answer many of the family’s questions. Creach’s son, Alan Creach, said the autopsy revealed no indication of a baton strike that Deputy Brian Hirzel claims he made during the Aug. 25 encounter in which Hirzel shot Creach in the parking lot of his business at 14208 E. Fourth Ave.
Sheriff releases tapes of dispatches after pastor’s shooting
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office released the 911 and police dispatch tapes Monday documenting Deputy Brian Hirzel’s transmissions surrounding his fatal shooting of Spokane Valley pastor Wayne Scott Creach. The transcript is largely as Spokane police officials had previously described. Hirzel calls “code 6,” which means he needs help. A few seconds later he says: “I’ve got shots fired, one down, shots fired.” A few seconds after that, Hirzel says: “respond medics,” making the same request a second time before a dispatcher advised that medics were en route.
Deputy’s order to Creach to drop gun was lawful
Although the Constitution gives citizens the right to bear arms, state laws passed since then dictate how citizens can legally carry and use weapons. Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker and other legal experts say the law is crystal clear on this point: A person must follow a lawful order from police.
When police issue order, only legal choice is to comply
Although the Constitution gives citizens the right to bear arms, state laws passed since then dictate how citizens can legally carry and use weapons. Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker and other legal experts say the law is crystal clear on this point: a person must follow a lawful order from police.
Police report details pastor’s shooting
Deputy Brian Hirzel told investigators that he feared for his life before he fired the shot that killed Pastor Wayne Scott Creach. The 733-page investigative file released Thursday by the Spokane Police Department provides the first public glimpse into the deputy’s account of why he opened fire on the 74-year-old man. The documents include forensic, medical and witness reports that detail what happened on Aug. 25 in the parking lot of Creach’s Plant Farm, at 14208 E. Fourth Ave.
Prosecutors reviewing Creach shooting probe
The investigation into last month’s police shooting of a Spokane Valley pastor and businessman has been completed and turned over to county prosecutors for review, authorities said today. Investigators have made no recommendation about whether they feel the shooting of Pastor Wayne Scott Creach on his own property by Spokane County sheriff’s Deputy Brian Hirzel was justified or whether criminal charges should be considered.
Candidate wants WSP in charge in Creach case
The Democratic challenger for Spokane County prosecutor on Monday called for the Washington State Patrol to take over the investigation into the fatal shooting of a Spokane Valley pastor. Spokane lawyer Frank Malone said he had not contacted the WSP, but noted they were already involved in the investigation of the Aug. 25 shooting by Deputy Brian Hirzel as part of a protocol that is designed to avoid having a department investigate itself.
Sheriff’s Office looks at Hirzel’s role in online sex toy business
Deputy Brian Hirzel, already under investigation for fatally shooting a Spokane Valley pastor, now is the subject of a new probe. Hirzel failed to disclose, as required under Sheriff’s Office rules, that he and his wife are co-owners of a business that sells sex toys online, and could face disciplinary measures if investigators determine he’s taken an active role in the company’s operations, Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said Monday.