Trial under way for wounding Grant County deputy

Published 8:26 am Wednesday, September 16, 2009

EPHRATA — A trial is under way in Ephrata for a Moses Lake man accused of wounding an off-duty Grant County sheriff’s deputy when he was hunting coyotes near Soap Lake.

Robbie Joe Marcher is charged with assault for the shooting in January of last year that wounded Deputy Earl Romig.

The Columbia Basin Herald reports that in his opening statement, Marcher’s lawyer said it’s not clear whether he shot the deputy, and if he did it was an accident.

Romig was hit in the back and suffered internal injuries and nerve damage to his right leg.

Marcher has said he fired at what he thought was a coyote.

Information from: Columbia Basin Herald, www.columbiabasinherald.com