Man accused of firing round at deputy before leading police on high-speed chase, crashing into downtown building

A man is accused of firing at a deputy and leading law enforcement on a high-speed, wrong-way chase on U.S. Highway 2 and Interstate 90 before crashing into a downtown Spokane building early Thursday morning.

The incident started around 12:30 a.m. when a Spokane County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to assist an Airway Heights police officer with an argument call in the 12500 block of West Sunset Highway, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

A man and woman were heard yelling at each other in the background of a 911 call with the woman saying the man was violent, the release said.

The Airway Heights officer arrived and advised a black SUV was taking off from the scene, deputies said. The license plates on the SUV were reported stolen.

A deputy located the vehicle about a minute later down the highway at Longhorn Barbecue and set up surveillance. As additional units responded to the original scene, the deputy advised a suspect wearing all black was running on foot. Seconds later, the deputy reported the suspect fired a shot at him, but he was not struck by the bullet.

The suspect jumped in the SUV and fled east in the westbound lanes on Highway 2 with speeds reaching an estimated 100 mph, deputies said. The deputy and officer pursued the SUV with Spokane police and Washington State Patrol alerted of the incident.

Multiple patrol units tried to deploy spike strips and assist with notifying the public of the suspect’s “extremely dangerous actions,” the release said. The suspect continued east on I-90 in the westbound travel lanes.

With the SUV throwing sparks from apparent damage, the suspect swerved head-on toward a patrol car, narrowly missing it, according to deputies.

Spokane police spokeswoman Julie Humphreys said two Spokane police patrol cars collided with each other because the suspect headed toward the patrol car. The patrol cars had to be towed.

The suspect exited I-90 and traveled the wrong way on Second Avenue at about 50 mph before driving through the Divine’s 76 gas station parking lot on the corner of Second Avenue and Lincoln Street and crashing through a wall of an old brick garage owned by Washington Trust Bank.

Gas station surveillance footage of the crash circulated online showed a Spokane police car striking a pedestrian, as the police cruiser pulled into the 76 parking lot just after the SUV crashed into the building.

Humphreys said the pedestrian left the scene and police located him about 30 minutes later.

Medics evaluated the pedestrian for what appeared to be minor injuries and he did not wish to be taken to a hospital, Humphreys said.

She said officers’ actions, including the one who struck the pedestrian, during the incident will be assessed.

Meanwhile, multiple patrol cars converged on the suspect who stayed inside the vehicle, the release said. He reached around the passenger compartment and floorboard of the SUV and, at one point, brought his hand into view with his fingers positioned as if he was holding a handgun, pointing toward police officers, deputies and his own head.

SWAT Team members, crisis negotiators, a drone and other resources were called to the scene.

Multiple announcements on a loudspeaker informing the suspect to surrender peacefully went unanswered. Officers and deputies deployed chemical irritants into the vehicle in an attempt to coax him into complying, deputies said.

After about 25 minutes, the suspect surrendered to SWAT team members and was taken into custody. He was transported to a hospital to be evaluated for what appeared to be a “high level of substance use,” according to the release.

Once medically cleared, the suspect, facing several felony and possibly misdemeanor charges, will be booked into jail.

No one was injured during the incident. Police closed Second Avenue and Lincoln Street as they investigated.

The suspect’s name was withheld but will be released once he is medically cleared and formally charged, the sheriff’s office said.

Maintenance crews covered up the large hole in the garage with plywood Thursday and were working to restore power to light the 76 signs, which were also affected by the crash.