Motorist Wonders: What’s A Guy Got To Do, Get Shot? Insurance Agent Feels He’s Being Punished For Gunman’s Lousy Aim
It may not be enough to get shot at in Spokane to attract the attention of law enforcement anymore.
At least that’s what one man thinks.
A shooting incident the Spokane Police Department has yet to fully investigate left Chuck McFarland fuming.
But police spokesperson Dick Cottam said the incident is nearly impossible to investigate because there’s limited evidence.
McFarland, a 35-year-old insurance agent for Clark Charlaine & Associates, was shot at five times as he drove home from a friend’s house early Thursday morning.
“I was just baffled. I’m still baffled,” McFarland said.
And he’s even more puzzled by what he views as slow police response.
“They said they will investigate when they have time. ‘You weren’t hurt,’ one of them told me. I feel like I’m getting penalized because the guy who fired was a bad shot.”
McFarland couldn’t describe the suspect, and that, according to Cottam, is the reason why he hasn’t gotten the assistance he’d like.
“I’m sure he’s not happy,” Cottam said. “Most people wouldn’t be, but he gave no description of age, clothing, race - nothing.”
McFarland said the shooting took place just after midnight and he telephoned Crime Check an hour later.
“The fact that he waited an hour didn’t help either,” Cottam said. “There’s almost no solvability to this event.”
McFarland said he was approaching Seventh and Cannon on the lower South Hill when about 10 pedestrians entered the street.
“There are always people hanging out down there. They were in the street and tried to stop me,” he said. “I slowed to about 5 mph, then a couple of them reached for the (car door) handle and I just took off.”
McFarland suspects they were attempting a carjacking. Shots were fired when he drove away.
“I hit the gas, looked in the rear-view mirror, and saw what I thought was a man with a handgun in the middle of the street. I heard him click off five or six rounds,” he said.
McFarland, who lives just three blocks from the shooting, took the car to his mother’s residence because he was afraid to park it at his.
“That’s why it took me an hour to call. I was wondering if they were after me. I’m still trying to calm down.”
According to Crime Check’s log, McFarland made his call at 1:06 a.m. Because all police units were busy at the time, the report never reached police. After repeated phone calls to Crime Check, he was called back by an officer who filed a report at 1:18 p.m. Thursday.
One bullet struck McFarland’s 1973 Porsche 911 Targa just above the car’s rear window while another went through the bumper, just missing the exhaust system. Damage is estimated at $700.
As of Friday, no one from the police department had inspected McFarland’s car or discussed the incident with him further.
“I’m just flabbergasted that there’s no response,” McFarland said. “Is this what Spokane is coming to?”
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo