SPOKANE, Wash. — A wild rolling gunfight that led to the wounding of two Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies began with a routine traffic stop in north Spokane, law enforcement officers said Wednesday.
The two deputies were wounded Tuesday afternoon after they were asked by narcotics detectives to stop a black SUV containing Charles R. Wallace, 41, a suspected drug dealer with a long criminal record. Wallace later killed himself, authorities said.
“Traffic stops for police officers are very dangerous,” said Spokane police spokeswoman Jennifer DeRuwe.
The deputies were met immediately with gunfire and fell to the ground wounded, DeRuwe said. Witnesses rushed to help the officers.
Wallace took off but quickly abandoned his vehicle. Responding officers located the empty SUV and began a search for Wallace.
A few blocks away, an elderly woman called police to report that her Honda Accord had just been stolen. The armed suspect forced his way into her house and demanded her car keys, the woman said. The 85-year-old woman chased the suspect out of the house, hitting him with her cane, but he escaped in her vehicle, police said.
Pursuing officers, aided by a police helicopter, spotted the stolen Accord with Wallace at the wheel on US 2 and gave chase, police said.
Law enforcement officers exchanged gunfire with Wallace along the rural highway, but no one was hit, DeRuwe said
About an hour after the two deputies were shot, Wallace drove over spike strips laid by officers near the town of Deer Park and then slammed into an unoccupied Spokane police cruiser. With his run over, Wallace shot himself and died at the scene, police said.
The wounded deputies were both reported in stable condition Wednesday at a Spokane hospital and DeRuwe said they were expected to recover.
Wallace is a suspected drug trafficker with a long criminal record.
He was indicted a month ago on federal charges connected to a heroin distribution ring. Wallace was allowed to leave jail without posting bail on May 31 for inpatient drug treatment in Spokane Valley. But federal agents had been looking for him after learning that he left the drug rehabilitation center last week.
Federal records show Wallace failed to appear in court Monday to discuss his treatment program.
In 2002, Wallace was arrested after escaping from Geiger Corrections Center outside Spokane. At that time, his criminal record included 25 adult convictions for drugs, burglary, theft, forgery, assault, driving under the influence and attempting to elude police.
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