SPOKANE, Wash. – A man has been sentenced after orchestrating a three-day crime spree involving a car chase, at least two shootings, and an armed robbery in August 2021, according to the Eastern District of Washington Attorney’s Office.
On Aug. 19, 2021, 22-year-old Dylen J. Swan drove up to his first victim and yelled profanity at them before he shot them in the stomach outside the Twelve Tribes Casino in Omak. The victim was transported to the hospital and treated for life-threatening injuries. The victim is alive but lives with injuries to this day.
Swan then threatened the passenger in his car at gunpoint, demanding that she “go with him or else.”
The next day, on Aug. 20, Swan attempted to steal multiple items from the Rosaurs in downtown Spokane. Swan pulled his gun at the manager’s head when they tried to confront him. Fearing for their safety, the manager let Swan leave the store. The Attorney’s Office says that shortly after the robbery, Swan bought red spray paint and painted the car he used during these crimes.
On Aug. 21, Swan went to the McDonalds near West 4th Avenue in downtown Spokane, where he pointed his same gun at yet another victim while demanding money. The victim reached for an airsoft gun to protect himself when Swan shot them in the arm.
The Spokane Police Department responded to the scene, saw Swan’s car speeding off, and pursued a chase. The Attorneys Office says Swan was swerving dangerously through intersections and cutting off other vehicles before throwing his gun out the window. Police took Swan into custody after he crashed into another car.
“I’m grateful for our incredible law enforcement team, who devote their lives to protecting our community,” said United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref. “Today’s sentence demonstrates the seriousness of Mr. Swan’s actions and dangerousness he presented on the Colville Indian Reservation as well as in downtown Spokane.”
Swan was sentenced for assault with a dangerous weapon and robbery affecting commerce. He will serve 168 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and pay $21,515.75 in restitution.
The Colville Tribal Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Spokane Police Department investigated this case.
