Man killed in shooting identified
SANDPOINT — Police have identified the Sandpoint man killed in officer-involved shooting Tuesday as Casey George Alarcon, 34.
An autopsy by the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office found Alarcon died of a single gunshot wound.
The shooting took place after two Bonner County Sheriff’s deputies and a Sandpoint Police officer were conducting law enforcement activities in the 1000 block of Ruth Avenue in Sandpoint and a struggle ensued with Alarcon, according to a press release from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.
During the struggle, Alarcon produced a firearm and fired two shots at the officers. A deputy returned fire, shooting one round and striking Alarcon, who succumbed to his injury while being transported for medical.
None of the officers were injured and the incident was captured on the officers’ body cameras.
The Region 1 Critical Incident Response team, which consists of investigators from law enforcement agencies throughout the five northern counties, was asked to conduct an investigation into the shooting. The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office has been assigned as the lead investigative agency in the case.
Investigators received a search warrant for the property where the shooting took place about 8 p.m. Tuesday and were still processing the scene, collecting evidence and gathering witness statements Wednesday evening. Police declined Tuesday to specify the nature of the search warrants or the nature of the call which took the officers to the Ruth Avenue area.
The three law enforcement officers are on paid administrative leave and the names will be released at a later time, according to the press release.
Bonner County Sheriff’s Capt. Ror Lakewold said the investigation into the shooting could take three months or more to complete.
According to file reports, Alarcon was convicted in 2008 for the armed robbery of the Downtown Crossing the year before. According to court records, Alarcon was accused of brandishing a 9mm pistol during the Nov. 24, 2007, incident and was charged with robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and illegal possession of a firearm. In an agreement with the state, Alarcon pleaded guilty to the robbery and weapon charges in exchange for the assault charge being dropped, court records show.
His sentence was up to seven years in prison and he had to serve at least five years of the sentence before becoming eligible for release.
Tuesday’s shooting comes just more than 13 months after another officer-involved shooting in which a Priest River woman was shot and killed after advancing on officers while holding a knife outside Bonner General Health. Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh concluded on Oct. 31 that the officers’ use of lethal force in the shooting death of Jeanetta Riley, 35, was justified.