The 9 people in Spokane County shot at by police in 2022

Spokane law enforcement officers shot at nine people in 2022, killing six.

Peterson Kamo, 23, was shot and killed on Jan. 24, after Spokane police responded to reports of a domestic dispute at his home. Police said Kamo held a knife to his 2-year-old nephew’s throat, refused to comply with commands and continued to threaten the toddler before officers shot him, according to statement from the department.

Kamo’s family, who are Marshallese, argued in court filings that officers didn’t take the time to fully understand the situation before rushing into the home and shooting Kamo.

Spokane County Prosecutor Larry Haskell said the officers who shot Kamo were justified in their actions, after his office reviewed an investigation into the incident.

Steven Haley, 56, was shot and injured by sheriff’s deputies after they said Haley broke into his ex-girlfriend’s Liberty Lake home and took her and her teenage son hostage on March 7. The woman and her son were able to escape. Haley left the home with a pistol in his hands and “engaged” the SWAT team in the backyard, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

According to deputies, Haley didn’t follow commands, and Deputy Justin Palmer shot him.

Haley has since been charged with assault and burglary in Spokane County Superior Court.

Mental health professionals are evaluating whether Haley is competent to stand trial, according to court records.

The Washington State Patrol investigated the shooting and sent its findings to the prosecutor’s office in January.

Haskell hasn’t decided whether to charge the officer involved.

Haley and his family declined to comment on the situation based on the advice of their attorney.

Dominic Shears, 39, was shot and killed after Spokane police officers said he exchanged gunfire with them during a standoff Aug. 3.

The altercation began when officers spotted a van at Spokane Street and Second Avenue that they believed was connected to a robbery in Spokane Valley, police said in a statement. Two of the van’s three occupants were arrested, but Spears sped away. Spears then crashed a short distance away and barricaded himself inside the van, ultimately ending up in a shootout with police.

Spokane police officers Jacob Siegel, Scott Lesser, Robert Riggles and Cpl. Brandon Lynch were put on administrative leave pending an investigation into the shooting. The shooting remains under investigation by the Washington State Patrol.

Terry Starkweather, 36, was shot by a deputy who came to arrest him on outstanding felony warrants on Aug. 21. Starkweather died of his injuries three days later. Officers confronted Starkweather outside a self-storage business, according to a news release from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. Starkweather ignored officer commands, got back in his truck and reversed toward Sgt. Darin Staley, who shot him, the sheriff’s office said.

Haskell declined to charge Staley with the shooting in March.

Robert Bradley, 41, was shot and killed by police while unloading camping gear outside his Hillyard home on Sept. 4. His neighbor called police that afternoon asking for an officer to serve a temporary anti-harassment order on Bradley over a property line dispute.

Bradley left his home a short time later. When he returned, the neighbor called police again, this time noting Bradley had a gun. When officers arrived, they spotted Bradley at the open door and cabin area of his van. Moments later, officers advised over the radio that shots had been fired.

Bradley’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city last month, alleging officers were reckless, escalated the situation and did not give Bradley enough time to respond to commands.

The officers who fired their weapons, Spokane police Detective Trevor Walker and Cpl. Chris Johnson, were placed on administrative leave following the incident. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the shooting.

Jeffrey J. Smith, 52, was shot and killed by two Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputies after a SWAT standoff near Loon Lake.

The incident began near Clayton on Oct. 12, when a man called police to report Smith had held him at gunpoint and fired a shot next to his head, according to court documents. Smith was likely trying to exact revenge against the victim, who had sexually assaulted Smith’s son’s girlfriend. A second call came in hours later that Smith was up near Loon Lake continuing to threaten people with a handgun. Stevens County Sheriff’s Deputies called in Spokane deputies, who arrived and shot Smith after Smith fired numerous rounds, according to court documents.

Deputies Stephan Blaakman and Alexx Bulion were placed on leave following the incident. The shooting remains under investigation by the Spokane Police Department.

Israel Garcia was injured during an exchange of gunfire following a drug buy with a confidential information working with the Drug Enforcement Administration in October in downtown Spokane. Garcia has since been charged with trafficking 15,000 illicit pills possibly containing fentanyl, according to court records.

The seven officers who shot at Garcia have not been named publicly because the shooting stemmed from a drug sale using a confidential informant.

Spokane police officials said they’re concerned for the officers’ safety if they were to release the names.

One officer received a “grazing wound” in the shootout.

The shooting remains under investigation by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

Matthew Teears, 31, was shot and killed after a 12-hour standoff in Greenacres in November. A neighbor called 911 reporting gunfire at Teears’ home, and by the time Spokane County Deputies arrived, he had barricaded himself inside. Teears exited the home still carrying a gun.

He was shot and killed by Deputies Davis French, Ryan Nelson-Felvarg and Thomas Walton. The sheriff’s office described the incident as a mental health crisis. Teears’ family did not respond to requests for comment.

The shooting remains under investigation by the Washington State Patrol.

Brandon M. Dozier, 24, was shot at by police in December after a 911 caller reported a suspicious vehicle parked in an alley near the 1100 block of East Illinois Ave. The caller thought Dozier might be associated with a “drug house” in the area, according to a news release from investigators.

Dozier exited the car and walked toward police with what turned out to be a BB gun in his hand. Officers said Dozier didn’t respond to commands, and Officer Garth Craigen shot at Dozier.

Dozier fled the scene, according to court records. He was arrested Wednesday on unrelated charges and booked into the Spokane County Jail.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office completed their investigation and forwarded it to the prosecutor’s office.