Friends remember man who was shot, killed by deputies as kind, loving, funny at vigil Saturday

The man who was shot and killed by two Spokane County Sheriff’s Office deputies last week was described by friends as kind, loving and always willing to help others.

A small group held a candlelight vigil for the man, identified as Bjorn Manycolors by his mother and friends, Saturday night at the corner of North Dyer Road and East Mallon Avenue. The intersection was near where he was shot in the early-morning hours of June 4.

Cynthia Manycolors, Bjorn’s mother, told The Spokesman-Review her son was 30. She said her son was born in Missouri but mostly raised in Washington, where he remained as an adult.

The sheriff’s office said the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the man’s name when appropriate.

Michelle Walker said Manycolors was funny, easy to get along with and cherished friendships.

“You could turn to him for anything and he wouldn’t tell you ‘No,’ ” Walker said.

Michelle Ketchum also said he was generous.

“If I needed anything, he was always there,” she said.

A white and gold sign that read, “RIP Bjorn Manycolors,” was propped up on the ground Saturday, and a small teddy bear, flowers and lit candles were placed in front of the sign. Eight people stood in front of the memorial with a lit candle in hand as the sun set. Some fought back tears.

Katie Purvis said Manycolors was a “really solid” person.

“He was just awesome,” Purvis said. “He was one of my best friends.”

Roseanna Muñoz said she had only met Manycolors twice, but everyone that knew him spoke highly of him.

“When something tragic has happened, it sends ripples through everything,” she said.

Muñoz said she hopes shootings by law enforcement officers become less frequent.

A news release from the Spokane Independent Investigative Response Team, which is investigating the shooting, said two deputies were driving a sheriff’s office vehicle on June 4 in the 900 block of North Dyer Road in Spokane Valley. Preliminary information indicates the deputies were searching for a person with an arrest warrant.

Deputies contacted Manycolors walking in the area around 12:10 a.m., investigators said. The deputies talked with him for over a minute before they tried to detain him.

As they tried to gain physical control of the man, Manycolors produced a concealed handgun and fired multiple times at the deputies from close range, the release said.

Manycolors broke free of the deputies’ grasp and started to run while firing additional rounds toward the deputies, according to investigators. Both deputies returned fire, striking and killing Manycolors.

Neither deputy was struck by gunfire. Manycolors’ firearm was recovered at the scene.

The sheriff’s office identified the deputies as Brent Miller and Matthew Peterson.

Miller was hired by the sheriff’s office in 2014 after serving as a reserve deputy starting in 2013, according to a sheriff’s office news release. Miller previously shot and killed a 25-year-old man following a January 2020 chase through a residential neighborhood. The Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office did not seek criminal charges in that shooting, ruling it justified.

Peterson has worked for the sheriff’s office since 2017.