Murder suspect surrenders with house surrounded by Spokane police, armed vehicle, K9 unit

Spokane police surrounded a suspect’s house and arrested him Thursday on suspicion of shooting and killing a man found dead in June, according to a Spokane Police Department news release.

At 5:15 a.m. June 12, a 911 caller reported they’d discovered a man, later identified as Taurus Ogletree, 48, lying face down and on the river trail on the 1600 block of East South Riverton Avenue, the release said.

Ogletree died from gunshot wounds, according to the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s findings.

Thursday, members of the Spokane Police Department Special Investigations Unit, one of the SPD Anti-Crime Teams, an SPD K-9 team and officers with the department’s SWAT team surrounded a house in the 2700 block of East Everett Avenue after learning that second-degree murder suspect Demetrius Cawthorne, 26, was in the home, according to the release.

Officers and detectives surrounded the residence and pulled an SPD armored vehicle and K-9 team up to the sidewalk in front of the residence, the release said. The officers made an announcement into the house and “almost immediately” saw someone look out the door, the release said.

“Police explained the situation and in less than sixty seconds the suspect came to the door with his hands raised and surrendered without incident,” the release said.

Cawthorne previously pleaded guilty to a first-degree robbery charge in 2012.

The investigation is ongoing, the release said.