Armed Suspect Dies After Shooting E. State Hospital Worker

A bizarre and tragic shooting remains under investigation in Medical Lake.

Hospital worker fatally shot by suspect, authorities believed he was undergoing mental crisis

Shortly after midnight Friday morning, Spokane County Deputies and fire crews responded to a small arson brush fire near Medical Lake, and witness reports indicated the suspect was apparently having a mental issue based on their physical and verbal behavior

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Then a short time later, a man wearing tactical gear and carrying a rifle, around 1:40 AM entered a occupied home in town, fired off several rounds, but did not hit anyone inside. The occupants were able to hide. This suspect matched the description of the previous arsonist.

Then moments later, gunfire was reported from the parking lot at Eastern State Hospital. Deputies and the SWAT Team arrived, and found the male suspect had fatally shot a hospital worker, then taken their radio.

He began to make strange statements over the radio, saying that "an army was coming." He engaged in gunfire with Deputies, then he was later found dead next to his vehicle. Officers found the rifle and a handgun nearby and ammo in his car.

According to the SCSO:

"The Officer-Involved Protocol was invoked, and the Spokane Independent Investigative Response Team (SIIR) is conducting an independent investigation.

Per standard protocol, the Deputy, believed to have fired his weapon, was placed on administrative leave."

No other information has been released at this time.

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