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Pastor killed in officer involved shooting in Spokane Valley

jddssc121

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38865948

The Washington State Patrol and Spokane Police Major Crimes Unit are investigating a deadly officer involved shooting that happened late Wednesday night in Spokane Valley. Officers tell say it happened in the 14,000 block of East Fourth Avenue at the Plant Farm with Country Charm, a local nursery.

Spokane police say a Spokane Valley police officer was responding to a prowling call from the nursery. They say that officer was approached by a man and shots were fired. Police confirm the man was killed. They identify him as 74 year old Wayne Creach, the owner of the Plant Farm.

Alan Creach, the victim's son, said his father was investigating what he thought was a burglary.
"At 11 o'clock, my father got out of his bed responding to what he thought was a burglar and he took a gun. Challenged that vehicle in his parking lot there in front of the Plant Farm. " said Alan. "Subsequently, a deputy sheriff shot him and killed him. My mother could hear that from the bedroom. She heard a shout and almost immediately thereafter there were three shots that she heard.'

Creach said his father was a pastor with the Greenacres Baptist Church for 40 years.

Since a Spokane Valley police officer was involved in this shooting, the other agencies are investigating.
As of 5:00 a.m. Thursday morning officers were still on scene working to process the evidence.
 

BobR

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I think it will be a few days before the whole story on this one comes out.

What I think I know from different news reports.

1. History of criminal activity in the area prompting a call for increased patrols in the area.

2. Unmarked car with officer parked in lot.

3. Business owner takes gun to confront person in car in lot (probably didin't kow it was a cop)

4. Some type of confrontation.

5. Business owner shot and killed.

All around this seems like a tragedy that didn't need to happen. It is kind of like one of those old military training films on aircraft crashes where it would have only taken one link in the chain to be broken to prevent the whole thing.

I will wait and see what the police actually release about this in the next few days.

bob
 

amlevin

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I think it will be a few days before the whole story on this one comes out.

What I think I know from different news reports.

1. History of criminal activity in the area prompting a call for increased patrols in the area.

2. Unmarked car with officer parked in lot.

3. Business owner takes gun to confront person in car in lot (probably didin't kow it was a cop)

4. Some type of confrontation.

5. Business owner shot and killed.

All around this seems like a tragedy that didn't need to happen. It is kind of like one of those old military training films on aircraft crashes where it would have only taken one link in the chain to be broken to prevent the whole thing.

I will wait and see what the police actually release about this in the next few days.

bob

This is a story that will be best commented on after lots more facts are revealed. Too many possibilities to speculate on.
 

FMCDH

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Please, please, please tell me this guy didnt go out to confront this car with gun in hand....

I think others are right, we are going to have to wait for more details, because one or both of these two had to have made a huge fal-up for this kind of thing to transpire.
 

skiingislife725

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And I was just talking about the Spokane police abuse website just the other day with my fiance when we over there visiting her family....

http://spokanepoliceabuses.wordpress.com/

But, as already mentioned, way too soon to tell what went down in this incident. Very good point about going outside with your gun though, too much watching Hollywood crap. I'm of the opinion that if I'm in my bedroom and someone breaks in the house, I stay in my safe room (my bedroom) instead of getting shot in the back while clearing my house. And if it's outside, at least staying inside so no one can outflank me and shoot me in the back of the head.

I didn't read the link, so it was an unmarked police car huh? I'm getting more and more against this trend of unmarked cars (see Poosharker's thread on fake cops).
 

SpyderTattoo

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May 22, 2008
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Kent, Washington, USA
Maybe the tables have turned... Maybe this means that we the people, not the cops should have the guns...

I've thought about this kind of scenario many times. If a cop goes snooping around on my private property and I come out, armed, to investigate, what then? How is the property owner wrong in this situation. All he knows is that someone is prowling around.

This is a bad situation.
 

Dave Workman

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JSlack

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Based on what I know about this incident....lets not lay all the blame on the officer....lets just say....this guy(the property owner) has had a history of being a hot head. Lets not believe everything the media tells us on this one. And until more FACTS come out about this...that is all I am going to say.
 

amlevin

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Who said a little professional training would not have helped here.:D

To use your circular argument from another thread, "who says it would have".

This incident has too many unknowns for anyone here to make ANY kind of judgement.

So far, if:

you are a "cop hater" it was the cops fault.

you are a training advocate, more training would have prevented this (but for who, the victim or the cop?)

if you believe anyone has the right to protect property with Deadly Force, the cop was wrong.

if you think the property owner was a hot-head and shouldn't have had a gun while confronting an unknown person then he's wrong (and dead).


You can pick any one of the above or even write some of your own. Without facts, which is right?

I'd rather wait for some more "official information" which probably won't be forthcoming until the detectives have filed their reports.
 

devildoc5

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man I hate doing this but here goes another trip on the devils advocate train.

When there was a shooting in (bellingham, everett, somewhere around there or something)

By a non LEO everyone was more than willing to give their opinions and speak there mind.

This story has a LEO involved so everyone is just gonna clam up and wait for more info before shooting off at the mouth?

Now that that part of the comment is out of the way I will say this: One of the stories quotes the son stating "there was a shout and IMMEDIATELY a gun shot." Seems like it may have been a little trigger happy. Not sure though 100% The big question is did the cop identify himself as such, or did he just say put the gun down? Did he even give the guy an opportunity to react and comply or did he shout and take up the slack at the same time?

Sure more info is needed, but that has never stopped anyone on this site from popping off at the mouth before (myself included).

Honestly who would drop their gun just because in the dark someone said "drop your gun!"??? Especially if you had absolutely no reason to believe it was a cop? Not saying this is what happened as info is not 100% complete, more of a hypothetical scenario based question thingy....
 

BigDave

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To use your circular argument from another thread, "who says it would have".
This incident has too many unknowns for anyone here to make ANY kind of judgement.
So far, if:
you are a "cop hater" it was the cops fault.
you are a training advocate, more training would have prevented this (but for who, the victim or the cop?)
if you believe anyone has the right to protect property with Deadly Force, the cop was wrong.
if you think the property owner was a hot-head and shouldn't have had a gun while confronting an unknown person then he's wrong (and dead).
You can pick any one of the above or even write some of your own. Without facts, which is right?
I'd rather wait for some more "official information" which probably won't be forthcoming until the detectives have filed their reports.

If it went down as reported, the pastor with firearm in hand went looking for an intruder to protect his property and while doing so the Officer encountered him and shots were fired by one or both I have no idea.

In Washington State one can use deadly force to protect life and limb but when it comes to property outside the home is very limited and a immediate threat to life and limb must be into play.
If he had armed himself and stayed in the home while calling 911 he would still be alive and well today with none the worse for wear as Officers would have known where he was and he was in a safe area while protecting himself and family.

It is really sad, I feel if he would have had a little education or training on these issues he may well still be alive today.

What I am responding to here is the information given in the article and who really knows the entire story we will have to wait and see.
 

Vandal

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Jul 1, 2008
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Spokane, Washington, USA
This story sucks all the way around and is very tragic.

The owner of the store, as well as other residents, called the cops and asked for extra patrols near his property and in the general vicinity. SVPD uses primarily unmarked Crown Vics or Impalas for night time surveillance with antennas and lights in the front and rear glass. They also use unmarked cars for patrol. The gun of the deceased was found near his body.

It will be an interesting case to follow as more information is released. From talking to a person who knew the deceased, the hothead comment has been, for me, backed up by another source. Pastors aren't all the men of God we often think they are. I've met some who, outside of the church, are very different people. Based upon the info given so far, it appears to me that the deceased went looking for trouble. Personally I suspect he came at the cop with the weapon already out. The smart thing would have been to call the dispatch, he would have been told by dispatch that it was the extra patrol in the neighborhood. The cops would have known where he was, what was going on and he'd most likely still be alive today. Such is my opinion based upon the information at hand and is subject to change as more info becomes available.
 
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