Man, who allegedly took ex-girlfriend and her son hostage in Liberty Lake, shot and critically injured by deputy

A man who took his ex-girlfriend and her teenage son hostage at their Liberty Lake home is in critical condition after a deputy shot him during a standoff late Monday night.

Liberty Lake police were called to 927 N. Malvern Circle at about 10 p.m. after a woman reported her ex-boyfriend, who she hadn’t seen or talked to in years, showed up at her house.

The man had called her earlier and seemed distraught before coming to the house and banging on doors and windows, she told police, according to a news release from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

As officers arrived, the woman reported the situation was escalating and that the suspect may have fired a gun before forcing his way into the house.

Liberty Lake police attempted to contact the man and deescalate the situation, but it quickly turned into a hostage situation, the sheriff’s office said.

Liberty Lake police called in the sheriff’s office SWAT Team and hostage negotiators.

SWAT surrounded the home, and negotiators tried to establish communication with the man, the sheriff’s office said.

The woman was able to escape from a second story window of the home located on a small cul de sac with the help of the SWAT team, but the teenage boy was still in the home, the sheriff’s office said.

After more announcements, the man exited the house with a pistol in his hands and “engaged” the SWAT team in the backyard, the sheriff’s office said. The man did not follow deputy commands, the sheriff’s office said. The news release did not elaborate on how the man interacted with law enforcement when he exited.

One deputy shot the man, according to the news release.

Deputies provided first aid to the man until medical personnel arrived, the sheriff’s office said. The man was taken to the hospital, where he was in critical condition as of early Tuesday morning.

The woman and her son were evaluated and, while traumatized, were uninjured, the sheriff’s office said.

Police remained in the neighborhood at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Crime scene technicians went in and out of the home as one neighbor hopped on her bike to head to work and teenagers rushed out the door to school.

Some neighbors ventured across the street to speak with police while others threw curious glances toward the still active crime scene.

The SWAT team member who fired his weapon was put on administrative leave, which is standard practice after an officer-involved shooting.

The Spokane Independent Investigative Response Team is investigating. The Washington State Patrol is the lead agency examining the shooting.

The shooting is the first time a deputy has fired a gun during an incident since the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office issued body cameras to their officers. The sheriff’s office did not indicate if the deputy involved in this incident had his body camera turned on at the time of the shooting.