Spokane Valley Deputies located three suspects within minutes of receiving a vehicle prowling call from the victim. Deputy Andrew Richmond helped catch the suspects despite injuring his knee during a foot chase.
On January 22, 2017, at approximately 2:05 a.m., Spokane Valley Deputies responded to a vehicle prowling that had just occurred in the 11600 block of E. Rego Court in Spokane Valley.
Deputy Richmond and Deputy Travis West, in marked patrol cars with their emergency lights activated, attempted to contact three males matching the description of the suspects in the area of the 11900 block of E. Broadway but the males fled on foot. Deputy West caught one of the males, 19-year-old Sinjin L. Triplett, and took him into custody. Without being asked, Triplett yelled he didn’t do anything and was just walking home when someone told him to run because of the cops and he’s afraid of cops.
After Triplett was place in a patrol car, Deputy West went to assist Deputy Richmond who had caught one of the suspects, a juvenile male, but injured his knee in the process. As Deputy West approached Deputy Richmond, Deputy Richmond motioned a third suspect was hiding and pointed toward a small tree. Deputy West observed the third suspect, another juvenile male, crouched down behind a tree with a backpack next to him and took him into custody.
The victim positively identified the juvenile with the backpack as the suspect he observed stealing items from his car. Two sets of headphones and a car charger belonging to the victim were found inside the backpack and returned. The juvenile was charged with Vehicle Prowling 2nd Degree.
Triplett could not be identified as entering the victim’s car but a cell phone belonging to the victim was located on Triplett during a search. Triplett was charged with Obstructing a Police Officer.
The victim could not identify the suspect caught by Deputy Richmond as entering his vehicle but he was arrested for an unrelated warrant for Theft 3rd.
Deputy Richmond received medical attention for his injury and was unable to continue his shift. He remains on medical leave and may require surgery due to a fractured Patella.