AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. — The grieving family of a man shot to death just outside of Airway Heights last month say they want accountability for the gunman.
Wyatt Walker, 28, was found deceased in the driver’s seat of his vehicle on Feb. 4. Charges against Devine Bullard, the man deputies believe pulled the trigger have been dropped Spokane County prosecutors say the case remains very active and charges could be re-filed.
Court documents paint a chaotic picture of what happened that February evening.
They state the deadly shooting stemmed from a dispute between Bullard and some children at Shorty Combs Park.
Bullard told deputies during that dispute, a racial slur was directed at him. Documents say a group of men, including Walker, went to confront Bullard about the issue with the children, and it ended with pepper spray and shots fired, allegedly by Bullard.
Wyatt Walker’s mother says the pain of losing her son has been unbearable.
“He was a mama’s boy,” she said. “We were pretty close. I just need to have him with me.”
She wears a portion of her son’s ashes in a necklace. It also contains a ring he gave her just two months before he died. She says it gives her a sense of strength. Something she so desperately needs as she pushes for justice.
“I want the man who did this to go to prison,” she said
But as of right now charges against the suspect have been dismissed.
Bullard was never charged with murder, but rather assault for allegedly firing at least three shots at the group who he told deputies were confronting him. According to court documents, someone in that group pepper sprayed Bullard and while on the ground allegedly, kicked or punched him.
Records further state, “Bullard didn’t say how many of them were hitting him. He drew his firearm and fired.” Documents also state that one of the witnesses said Bullard fired the first round of shots, and then came out to fire a second time. The witness told deputies that’s when he believed Wyatt Walker was hit. Walker was found unresponsive in the driver’s seat of a vehicle.
His family got the news that something terrible had happened. His mother rushed to try to be by her son.
“I went to the scene yes,” she said. “It was awful.”
And so has every single day since, as she says answers and updates have been difficult to come by
“We have gotten nothing,” she said.
But she vows to keep fighting for the son who did so much for her.
“He gave me a kiss and said goodbye,” she said of the last time she ever saw her son.
Again, prosecutors say just because charges were dropped, they can be re-filed as their work continues. As for why Bullard was charged with assault rather than murder for allegedly firing the fatal shot, we were told that’s all part of this very active investigation.
