Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan confirmed that officers found no weapons, but that they did find some drugs — including crack cocaine, marijuana and controlled prescription drugs — during the execution of the search warrant. A Washington State Patrol detective sergeant shot the woman, who was described as being 39 weeks pregnant.
According to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, “During the entry, a female suspect inside the apartment became non-compliant with officers’ instructions,” Reagan wrote in a press release. “When she attempted to flee out a bedroom window, officers attempted to restrain her. During efforts to prevent her escape, a shot was fired and the woman suffered a minor wound to her upper torso. She fell out the window and received first aid from containment officers stationed at the back of the apartments.”
No explanation was given as to why the officer used deadly force when their training suggests it should only be used when they are threatened or in physical danger. The warrant was executed by a multiagency task force from the Moscow-Pullman area and targeted suppliers of crack cocaine identified in the Spokane Victoria Apartments.
The officer who shot the woman has not been identified, however he has been placed on paid leave, which is standard procedure.
It was reported Monday, Sept. 27 that the woman had labor induced at a local hospital and gave birth over the weekend.
–torrance stephens, ph.d.
