Wash. Police Officer Stops Hit-and-Run Suspect Charging with Knife

Newly released body camera footage appears to show a hit-and-run suspect, possibly armed with a knife, charging a Liberty Lake Police Department officer who fired at least two rounds at him two months ago in Otis Orchards.

Police identified the officer as Cpl. Darin Powers, a 28-year law enforcement veteran, who started as a Liberty Lake police officer in January 2024 after serving nearly 17 years with the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, according to a Liberty Lake police news release Thursday.

Powers served as a police officer and instructor for multiple police departments prior to the sheriff's office.

Liberty Lake police officers responded at about 1 p.m. Dec. 21 to the area of Wellesley Avenue and Malvern Road for a hit-and-run, according to a Spokane Independent Investigative Response Team news release.

Liberty Lake police said in a previous release that the suspect, whose identity has not been released by law enforcement, intentionally drove into other vehicles. The suspect also reportedly got out of his vehicle and threw rocks and struck vehicles with random objects.

A witness told Powers the suspect was trying to get into another vehicle a short distance away, investigators said.

Body-cam footage showed Powers responding to the call in a patrol vehicle. He pulled into a driveway of a home where a red pickup truck was parked outside.

"He's trying to break into it," Powers said of the suspect and the truck.

Powers emerged from his driver's seat and drew his weapon.

"Get out of the vehicle. Police officer. Get out of the vehicle. Do it now," Powers yelled to the suspect.

The suspect yelled something unintelligible as he ran toward Powers from the truck, the footage shows. Powers told the suspect to "stop," but he didn't appear to comply, and Powers fired .

The suspect reached for his stomach area and dropped to his knees, turning his back to Powers before rising to his feet.

"What do you got in your hand?" Powers said. "You got a knife. Get down, get down."

Powers repeatedly yelled, "Get down," as the suspect staggered on his feet with his back turned and grabbing at his stomach area where he was presumably shot.

The suspect screamed, "Dad" multiple times before sitting on the ground, where Powers and another officer detained him.

The suspect repeated "Dad" several times as he appeared to be in a great deal of pain as officers provided medical aid.

The suspect used an explicit phrase, and Powers replied, "You came at me with a knife, bro."

The suspect yelled in pain and said, "You guys are killing me," as law enforcement officers rendered aid.

The suspect said he was shot twice.

"I'm just hoping this guy's gonna survive," Powers said as he and others provided aid to the man.

Police asked the suspect for his name, and the suspect replied, "I'm Jesus."

Powers told another officer the suspect dropped the knife when he shot him. He then pointed out the knife, which appeared to be on the ground near where the shooting happened.

The suspect was taken to a local hospital, where he was in stable condition two days after the shooting, according to investigators.

Liberty Lake police said in a release the shooting happened in the 24700 block of East Kildea Road, which is a few blocks from Wellesley Avenue and Malvern Road.

Investigators completed their investigation into the shooting last week, according to a SIIR release. Detectives from the Spokane Police Department, which served as the managing agency for the investigation, submitted their findings to the Spokane County Prosecutor's Office, which will determine whether Powers was justified in his use of lethal force.

__________

Visit www.spokesman.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.