SPOKANE, Wash. — The police officer who shot and killed a shoplifting suspect at the north Spokane parking lot on Sunday was identified by the department Thursday afternoon.
A Spokane Police Department spokesperson said Officer Karl Richardson was on leave as an independent team investigated the use of force.
Richardson shot 34-year-old Kerry Jones-Hilburg during a fight that started inside the Walmart. A video of the altercation shows officers tasing Jones-Hilburg before leaving the building.
The police department spokesperson said Richardson has been with the department since 2019.
The Spokane Independent Investigate Response Team, led by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, is looking into Richardson’s use of lethal force. That team will pass their findings on to the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office, at which point prosecutors will determine whether they will pursue any charges against Richardson.
According to the investigative team’s initial release, informed by witness testimony and other pieces of evidence, someone yelled “gun” during the altercation.
Investigators found a loaded gun near the scene, which they believe belonged to Jones-Hilburg. The witness video depicting the fight also caught bystanders talking about Jones-Hilburg potentially being armed.
