“Drop the knife!” the Deputy shouted. The deputy was responding to a call of man with a kitchen knife threatening someone in his home. The deputy arrived before any others and discovered the man with the knife was out in the road. The deputy had parked his car down the block and was walking up in the darkness, scanning the area to locate the incident when the man emerged from the darkness. Wordlessly, with the knife extended in a threatening manner, the man in his fifties advanced. He had a blank look on his face.
The deputy shined his flashlight at the man and identified himself by saying, “Sheriff’s office! Drop the knife!” The man continued to advance. The deputy retreated over 100 feet. The deputy retreated to his patrol car. The man advanced and the deputy opened fire, striking the man. The man with the knife did not survive.
What happens when a law enforcement officer shoots a person in the line of duty? We call this an “officer-involved shooting.” In Spokane County, there is a protocol that is invoked in which officers from a different department than the shooting officer conduct an investigation. In fact, there will be multiple investigations that go on. All will be conducted by different investigators for different reasons.
There will be an investigation to determine what exactly happened. There will be an investigation to determine if the shooting was within state law, and another one to determine if the shooting was within department policy. There will be several layers of oversight to ensure thoroughness and fairness.
Many people ask why an officer is put on paid administrative leave after a shooting. That is a fair question. Did you know there is a group of scientists who formed “Force Science Institute” recommend that officers are allowed 1 or 2 sleep cycles after such an event to improve the officer’s ability to recall the events. Want to know more? Keep reading!
Some people ask, “Why didn’t the officer shoot him in the hand, or leg?” Some ask, “Are the officers trained to shoot-to-kill?” Or, “Can the officer shoot first?” Another question we hear is “Why didn’t the officer use mace, or pepper spray, or a TASER, or a baton?” Those are all legitimate questions and YOU have a right to know! Furthermore, you have the opportunity to find out!
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office puts on a Citizen’s Academy every spring and every session is based on the topic of officer-involved shootings. I encourage everyone to go. Do you know everything there is to know about these shootings? Probably not. Have you heard an explanation from law enforcement, or just from news articles and opinion pieces? If you come to the Citizen’s Academy you can ask these questions and many, many more! You will hear first hand from Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich and other men and women in law enforcement.
The Citizen’s Academy is free to attend. You will hear from officers who have been in shootings. You will learn about all levels of police uses of force. You will be given the opportunity to experience police training scenarios in which you are forced to decide, shoot or don’t shoot! You can experience the danger of a close-range attack with a simulated edged weapon. These sessions will be three hours long, one night per week for six weeks. Members of the press and community leaders are strongly encouraged to come. The sessions will start on April 1st and will continue until May 6th. They go from 6 pm to 9 pm. You MUST pre-register if you want to attend.This is a fantastic opportunity to get educated on this topic, in way that is unlike any other.
Plus, it gives you a chance to connect and engage with YOUR Sheriff’s department in a way few people get to experience.
If you want to attend the 2019 Spring Citizen’s Academy please send an email to my Crime Prevention partner, Deputy Chris Johnston. His email address is CRJohnston@SpokaneSheriff.org. He will process your application and give you all the details. Please come!
In the meantime, see to your safety. Trust your instincts! Be watchful of your surroundings. Call Crime Check at 509-456-2233, or 911 if you see suspicious or criminal behavior. In fact, in almost any situation in all of Spokane County, if you need answers or help from law enforcement, you should start by calling Crime Check at 509-456-2233. I hope you are enjoying our unseasonably warm winter. I hope the holiday season was enjoyable and relaxing and I wish you the best in the coming New Year. As always you can reach me at my email address: DWMorris@SpokaneSheriff.org.
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