Latest news with #SpokaneCountySheriff'sOffice
New York Post
16-06-2025
- New York Post
Gun-toting carjacker killed by police following deadly multi-state crime spree
A gun-toting maniac who went on a chaotic multistate carjacking spree — killing one good Samaritan and wounding a motorcyclist — was killed Sunday during a police shootout in Washington, authorities said. The unidentified suspect launched his rampage around 8:30 a.m. Sunday outside a Spokane Valley coffee shop where he allegedly carjacked a man and his daughter at gunpoint and drove down I-90 toward Idaho in the stolen car, according to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office. Within minutes, cops located the carjacker speeding down the interstate up to 140 mph, but were unable to catch him, police said. Advertisement The scene of a fatal carjacking in Spokane, Washington on June 16, 2025. Spokane County Sheriff's Office While heading toward the state line, the lunatic allegedly plowed into a motorcyclist after doing 'donuts' in the vehicle. The motorcyclist was injured, but is expected to be OK, police said, according to the Spokesman. Once the suspect crossed state lines into Idaho, he allegedly tried to carjack several more people and fatally shot an unidentified male bystander who was trying to help a car owner as their vehicle was being stolen in Kootenai County, police said. Advertisement The man allegedly used an AR-15-style rifle to shoot the Good Samaritan, KHQ reported. The madman then fled back to Spokane County, where he allegedly stole a gray truck during another carjacking. Cops quickly caught up to him and used a 'spike strip' to blow out the front tire of the vehicle as he was speeding at 120 mph, cops said. As the tire disintegrated, he drove recklessly into traffic and began to wave his rifle out of the car window and open fire, presumably at law enforcement, according to police Advertisement He eventually crashed into another vehicle and a Washington State Police patrol car, and continued to fire shots, cops said. The suspect was then killed in the ensuing gun battle, police confirmed at a press conference. Authorities have not yet released the name of the suspect, who did not have a strong criminal background or a known motive, police said, according to the Spokesman.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sheriff remains 'optimistic' about tracking down Wenatchee father wanted for killings of his daughters
Jun. 4—The Chelan County Sheriff's Office is "optimistic" it will locate a man accused of killing his three young daughters at a campsite and fleeing the scene, sheriff Mike Morrison said at a news conference Wednesday evening. "My message is still the same," Morrison said. "Turn yourself in ... We will not relinquish our efforts. Do us right for your kids." Travis Caleb Decker, 32, is charged with the murder and kidnapping in connection to the deaths of his children, Olivia Decker, 5; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Paitlyn Decker, 9, from Wenatchee. The girls were found bound and asphyxiated in an embankment at the Rock Island Campground near Leavenworth, according to previous reporting from The Spokesman-Review. Their father has not been seen since last week when he failed to return the children to their mother after a planned visit. Decker, who is homeless and only allowed day visits unless an exception is made, is said to have borderline personality disorder for which he did not take medication, according to court records. He has never failed to return his kids to their mother before, and the children generally enjoyed being with him, court records say. Investigators later found his white truck and miscellaneous supplies at the campground, along with plastic bags and zip ties. The discovery led to a near-statewide manhunt. Morrison said during the news conference they are "optimistic" they can track his location, even though Decker is a military veteran with elite wilderness survival skills. He went through survival school as a kid and had more training in the military, Morrison said, and his family told investigators they believe he is able to live "off the grid" for more than two days. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office wrote in a news release they don't believe Decker is armed, but consider him dangerous. Aerial units from the Spokane County Sheriff's Office are assisting Chelan County in the search across the Okanagan Wenatchee National Forest, along with federal law enforcement. The FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit were also called in and have rendered "good leads" about Decker's mindset and thought process at the time of the killings, Morrison said. Multiple tips have come in, including sightings from McCall, Idaho, but were determined not to be Decker, the sheriff said at the news conference. Agencies have swept fast-moving creeks, steep terrain, cellphone data and financial documents for clues. The sheriff's office also has limited resources, Morrison added, but the assistance Chelan County, most of which is not accessible by road, has received from statewide agencies statewide gives him confidence. "We are up for the challenge," he said. "We are aware of our terrain ... And we are not doing it alone." As of Wednesday afternoon, the Decker family's GoFundMe has raised more than half a million dollars. "Their light touched so many, and the pain of this loss is immeasurable," the post says about the Decker girls. The girls and their family are the "motivating force" behind the rigorous search, Morrison said Wednesday. The agency has set up a tip line for people with knowledge or sightings of Decker to submit information. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office has posted a $20,000 reward leading to his arrest. Decker was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt with dark shorts, has black hair and brown eyes, is 5-foot-8 and weighs about 190 pounds. He may pose a risk if he is approached, police said in a release. If found, call 911 immediately.
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Horror after man, 70, decided to drive dangerously behind the wheel of his 1955 Chevy with no seatbelts
A grandfather was killed when he was thrown through the windscreen of his beloved classic car that was as old as he was. Mark Maier, 70, died when his 1955 Chevy Nomad collided with another car and veered off the road into a tree in Newman Lake, Washington. The vintage car enthusiast was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the car as it burst into flames about 5.15pm on April 25. Motorists dragged him away from the burning wreck and started CPR, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. Maier had restored the Nomad, nicknamed 'Gypsy Rose', and proudly showed it at vintage cars shows in Spokane and beyond. He also owned a red 1972 Opel GT that he drove for 6,000 miles in a 20-day trip across the West Coast in May and June 2018. The Opel had the license plate 'LIL-VET' and Maier wore a US Navy hat, but details of any military career are unknown. Maier's daughter Michelle Helm shared old photos of her father posing next to the Nomad with his five grandchildren, and riding a vintage motorbike in his youth. 'God gave my dad almost 71 years. I'm thankful for his life, and for the person it shaped me to be,' she wrote. 'Our time is fleeting and how we live is important.' His friend Matt Graupner posted a montage of Maier working on the Nomad in his garage and driving it around. 'He was a good guy, and I will miss seeing him at all the car shows,' he wrote. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office explained that Maier was driving along North Idaho Road, south of Trent Avenue, when traffic slowed in front of him. An Infiniti had slowed to make a left turn, backing up traffic behind it, and Maier switched to the left land to quickly overtake the cars in front of him. As the Infinity began it's turn, it crashed into Maier's car, causing him to lose control of the car and drive off the road into an embankment and into the tree. Neither the Infinity driver or his child passenger were injured. The Spokane County Medical Examiner confirmed Maier died of blunt force trauma from the accident. Police are still investigating the crash.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
Motorcyclist in critical condition after collision with pickup truck
Apr. 27—A motorcyclist is hospitalized with possible life-threatening injuries after a collision with a vehicle on South Cheney Spokane Road Sunday morning. Just before 9 a.m. Sunday, deputies from Spokane County Sheriff's Office responded to the two-vehicle crash on South Cheney Spokane Road, south of Sherman Road. The collision was between a motorcycle and a pickup truck towing a "small utility trailer," according to a sheriff's office news release. The male driver of the pickup was uninjured and stayed at the scene to cooperate with investigators from the sheriff's traffic unit. According to the release, both drivers were heading south, the motorcycle behind the trailer. The driver of the pickup stopped to turn left, and as he turned, the motorcyclist attempted to pass the pickup on the driver's side, colliding with the truck. The collision remains an active investigation, but investigators don't think impairment or speed are involved. Officials transported the motorcyclist to a local hospital, in critical condition with "potentially life-threatening injuries." Deputies issued the pickup driver traffic citations for driving without proof of insurance, driving with a suspended license and driving without a breathalyzer ignition interlock device. The roadway was closed until around 12:15 p.m. A volunteer team assisted with traffic control. Elena Perry's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Yahoo
Medical examiner identifies man who died in Deer Park crash
Apr. 10—A 40-year-old man who died after crashing a vehicle into a large sign one week ago in Deer Park has been identified as Steven Davis, according to the Spokane County Medical Examiner's Office. The cause and manner of Davis' death are pending, the medical examiner's office said. Investigators believe Davis sped through a parking lot before crashing into the sign at about 5:20 a.m. April 4 in the 800 block of South Main Street, according to a Spokane County Sheriff's Office news release. Firefighters extricated Davis, who was the lone occupant of the Ford Explorer. He was taken to the hospital, where he died, investigators said. Investigators believe speed, not wearing a seatbelt and impairment were factors in the crash.
