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Fatal Shooting Of Man By Spokane Police Ruled Justified

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A Spokane police officer was justified in killing a man after a foot chase in January.

The Spokane County Prosecutor's Office made that ruling on Tuesday in the death of 33-year-old Dexter Dumarce.

He was killed in the early-morning hours of Jan. 15 when he shot four times by Spokane police Cpl. Ryan Jamieson. Dumarce died at the scene.

Police originally stopped Dumarce because he looked suspicious in an area known for a high rate of car break-ins.

The Spokesman-Review reports that police said they tried to talk to Dumarce, but he abruptly dropped his backpack and brandished a long-bladed, spring-loaded knife.

Dumarce ran toward a busy intersection with cars stopped at a stoplight, and police say they feared he would take hostages. That's when Jamieson fired his weapon.