Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Staff and Deputies Honored 2023-2024
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Staff and Deputies were honored for their outstanding work and dedication in 2023 and 2024. During this time, 53 new members joined the Sheriff’s Office, 24 members were promoted, and 20 members retired. These retirees dedicated 559 years of service to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and the Citizens of Spokane County.
Outstanding Citizen Award
Daniel Backlund was recognized for his invaluable contributions to the Real Time Crime Center and his tireless work and enthusiasm as a SCOPE Volunteer, where he logged over 1600 volunteer hours.
2023 Civilian Employee of the Year
Paul Hanson: As an Investigative Analyst, Paul has been a valuable member of the Spokane Valley Investigative Unit. He is a force multiplier for detectives in and out of the office and consistently excels in every task.
2024 Civilian Employee of the Year
Vincent Jimno: Vince joined the Sheriff’s Office as an Investigative Analyst after serving with the Washington State Gambling Commission and retiring as a Southern California Police Officer. He frequently responds to crime scenes, often at all hours, and his extensive knowledge, skills, and expertise in investigations and cell phone/computer analytics are invaluable.
Platoon Deputy of the Year
The Platoon Deputy of the Year recognizes Sheriff’s Patrol Deputies assigned to the Downtown and Valley Precincts. Recipients are selected based on their exemplary reliability and commitment to providing the highest level of service to the citizens of Spokane County. Their peers and supervisors acknowledge them for being positive influences within their platoons and consistently upholding the agency’s core values.
Downtown Precinct
Dayshift 1st Platoon – Deputy Hunter Ballou
Dayshift 2nd Platoon – Deputy Christopher Giacomini
Nightshift 1st Platoon – Deputy Matt Costello
Nightshift 2nd Platoon – Deputy Taylor Smith
Valley Precinct
Dayshift 1st Platoon – Deputy Chris Christensen
Dayshift 2nd Platoon – Deputy Justin Korpi
Nightshift 1st Platoon – Deputy Nerman Bajric
Nightshift 2nd Platoon – Deputy Regan Childs
Valley Power Shift 1st Platoon – Deputy Thomas Wakem
Valley Power Shift 2nd Platoon – Deputy Josiah Loos
Investigator of the Year Awards
Investigator of the year is nominated and selected for being distinguished among their peers and recognized by their supervisors for their professionalism and dedication to serving the citizens of Spokane County.
2023 Crimes Against Persons Investigator of the Year
Detective Veronica Van Patten has shown exceptional expertise and perseverance, leading to successful case resolutions. She is dedicated to collaborating with advocates and community organizations while demonstrating empathy in sensitive cases. In addition, Detective Van Patten also develops and implements report writing, interviewing, and interrogation training for new deputies.
2024 Crimes Against Persons Investigator of the Year
Detective Scott Bonney consistently shows exceptional dedication when responding to urgent calls, managing investigations, and following up on leads. His professionalism and attention to detail ensure a smooth case progression through the investigative process, including trial, leading to successful prosecutions, delivering justice to victims and their families.
2023 Property/Drug Crimes Investigator of the Year
Detective John McQuitty, while investigating a 2023 vehicle prowling at a business on the South Hill, used several investigative techniques to identify a suspect linked to several property crimes committed in Spokane County. After the suspect’s arrest, Detective McQuitty connected the suspect to a storage unit where evidence of criminal activity was linked to over 200 victims and recovered over $5,000 in stolen property.
2024 Property/Drug Crimes Investigator of the Year
Detective Ken Scott, specializing in financial and cryptocurrency crimes, collaborates with detectives, prosecutors, federal agents, and financial investigators. In 2024, he recovered $235,944.33 for victims and seized $6,849.75 in illegal gains, with another $40,800.00 pending due process. Detective Scott has established a policy for cryptocurrency investigations, laying the groundwork for future inquiries despite limited resources.
Medal of Merit Awards
Detective Samuel Turner has spearheaded the redevelopment and supplementary training of the Spokane County Rescue Task Force, which serves Spokane County Sheriff’s Office members and encompasses neighboring Fire and Medical agencies. He has devoted numerous hours collaborating with subject matter experts in Medical Trauma Care, Tactical Response, Incident Command, and Fire Department policies. Due to Detective Turner’s unwavering dedication, commitment, and foresight, the citizens of Spokane County and adjacent regions will benefit from an improved emergency response, ultimately saving more lives.
Sergeant Jason Karnitz played a pivotal role in the design and execution of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Training Center Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC) track, ultimately establishing it as a leading emergency vehicle operations facility in the Pacific Northwest.
Detective Skye Ortiz worked to bring the ALERT International Driving Conference, held at the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Training Center Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC) track, which attracted agencies from across the United States and Canada, with approximately two hundred attendees.
Sergeant Gavin Pratt demonstrated exceptional leadership during last year’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, proudly representing the Sheriff’s Office. He planned and oversaw the safe transportation of the teams to and from their hotel and the McCarthy Center. After a racially motivated harassment incident left the Utah team feeling threatened in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, he compassionately listened to their concerns, provided sound guidance, built trust with the coaches/managers/players, and assisted their relocation to Spokane, ensuring they felt safe in our community.
Sergeant Dave Westlake exemplifies dedicated service, routinely taking calls after hours from staff throughout the agency to address technical issues with their phones, laptops, printers, and other equipment, ensuring service is available 24/7/365. His knowledge and leadership are incredibly valuable to our agency and staff in the ever-changing realm of technology.
Dustin Baunsgard, an Investigative Analyst in the Spokane County Investigative Unit (SCIU), assisted with the construction of the new Real-Time Crime Center, and his unique talents, drive, and positivity made him invaluable to this massive project. He quickly became vital to the Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) project, laying the foundation for the first RTCC in the Northwestern United States. Dustin has consistently demonstrated leadership, teamwork, and a growth mindset throughout this significant project.
Deputy Catherine Horton
Matt Smith, Retired
Lieutenant Andy Buell
Lieutenant Aaron Myhre
Over the past year, they worked together to develop a new use-of-force reporting system and training program for the entire agency to enhance how the Sheriff’s Office documents its use of force, spending numerous hours researching Washington State Law regarding use of force. Using the content they discovered, they developed and instructed a 10-hour in-service class that provided this valuable information to all commissioned members of the Sheriff’s Office.
Lifesaving Awards
Deputy Natalie Woolard and Deputy Michael Vicini responded to a rollover accident that resulted in injury. The driver had a partially amputated left arm and was trapped inside the vehicle, lying on its side. They worked together to provide lifesaving aid while working flawlessly with Firefighters to extricate the severely wounded driver. The dedication and selflessness shown by these two deputies at this moment, risking their well-being, to ensure the trapped driver received adequate treatment, illustrates the sacrifices Deputies are willing to make for the safety of our community.
Deputy Stephan Blaakman
Deputy Alexx Bullion
Deputy Anthony Gosline
Deputy Jeffery Gallaher
Deputy Josiah Loos
Deputy Keifer Smith
Deputy Daniel Spiewak
Detective – Sam Turner
In 2023, these Deputies responded to a call regarding a suicidal person. The person was said to have stabbed himself and was experiencing a significant loss of blood. When Deputies arrived, he fled into the darkness of Dishman Hills, but he was quickly located. Although combative, Deputies restrained the male and provided medical aid until medical personnel arrived and took over care. The Deputies were directly involved in rapidly locating the man in crisis and providing emergency medical aid. Their actions played a significant role in preserving this individual’s life.
Deputy Trevor Ball and Deputy Michael Huffman responded to a reported suicide attempt by a female who was said to be hanging from an upper-story window of a residence. They quickly worked together to get the lifeless female down and immediately started CPR. Thanks to their quick decisions and actions, the female’s pulse exceeded 100 beats per minute when transported.
Deputy Josiah Loos responded to assist other Spokane County Deputies with a Shooting. Multiple callers stated a male had shot his father-in-law, 911 could hear multiple gunshots in the background, and that the suspect’s location was unknown, but he was likely still in the area. Deputy Loos entered the residence and located the victim on the ground just inside the doorway. He performed a rapid assessment of the victim’s wounds, discovered three gunshot wounds, and rendered lifesaving aid, including the application of a tourniquet. This systematic and immediate implementation of emergency aid by Deputy Loos, while remaining calm under high stress, was undoubtedly lifesaving.
Deputy Kimberly Weeks
Deputy Parker Perry
Deputy Raymond Santovena-Fathauer
Deputy Thomas Wakem
Deputy Nerman Bajric
The Deputies responded to a suicidal call and were advised that a man was running his vehicle in a closed garage. When they arrived, the deputies attempted to enter, but the subject had barricaded the door. Eventually, they breached the door and managed to gain entry by pushing the shelving aside, creating a small hole to crawl through. The fumes in the garage were extremely thick, making it difficult to see or breathe. Deputies located the unresponsive male inside the home and carried him out to awaiting medics. These deputies put themselves at extreme risk and disregarded their safety to assist a member of our community. In doing so, their swift actions saved the life of the suicidal subject.
Deputy Trevor Ball
While working the graveyard shift, Deputy Ball observed a large column of smoke rising from the N. Bowman area. He drove to the area and found the mobile home’s porch on fire, with the flames rapidly spreading. Deputy Ball entered the burning residence and located a male and female inside. He helped evacuate both occupants, ensuring they were safe before noticing the fire had spread to the trailer next door. Deputy Ball rushed over to alert and evacuate the residents inside as additional Deputies arrived to assist. Had Deputy Ball not been so vigilant and acted so quickly, the occupants likely would have been trapped inside the burning mobile home.
Unit Merit Citation
2023 Unit Merit Citation Award was presented to the Sheriff’s Forensics Unit.
Larissa Miller, Lyle Johnston, Melissa Schaal, Tammy Taylor, Nicholas Ames, Trayce Boniecki, Kayla Gill, John Schlosser, Caitlin Daniel, Lynett Estridge, Ciara Linane-Booey, Dominique Blanchard, Ashli Thueringer, Jasmin Bautista-Nava, Jamie Green, Elizabeth Kane, and Lt. Jerad Kiehn
The Forensic Unit earned the American National Standards Institute National Accreditation Board Certificate of Accreditation, making it one of five ANAB-accredited Forensic Units/Labs in Washington State. This certification enables the lab to assist not only our regional partners but also our federal partners. Additionally, they are accredited in two disciplines: Friction Ridge (Fingerprints) and Crime Scenes. The Forensic Unit achieved this while maintaining a high level of service with 216 call-outs supporting Spokane County, the city of Spokane, and surrounding contract agencies, while they reduced the backlog of case processing logs by opening a satellite office in Spokane Valley.
2024 Unit Merit Citation Award was presented to the Emergency Vehicle Operations Instructors
Sergeant Pat Bloomer, Detective David Bruner, Deputy Alexx Bullion, Deputy Brandon Cinkovich, Deputy Tim Clanin, Detective Christina Ennis, Deputy Jeff Gallaher, Deputy Chris Giacomini, Detective Chris Gunter, Sergeant Andrew Hairston, Deputy Daryl Hansmann, Sergeant Jason Karnitz, Deputy Josiah Loos, Deputy Brent Miller, Deputy Lorenz Mina, Detective Skye Ortiz, Deputy Nathan Overbay, Detective Branson Schmidt, and Deputy Natalie Wollard
This esteemed group of instructors successfully organized and executed the 2024 ALERT International Conference in Spokane. The dedication demonstrated by this group during the conference has positioned it as one of the most noteworthy events ever conducted by ALERT. Numerous attendees, including prominent leaders from major agencies nationwide, commended the exceptional planning, organization, and execution of the track day. These leaders recognized the existence of a world-class training cadre and facilities.
Annual Unit Merit Award
2023 Annual Unit Merit Award is presented to Sheriff’s Administration Staff Members
Katie Johnston, Teresa Keith, Lynn Komarek, Lisa McConnell, Celia Peterson, Contessa Tucker, and Chris Wiese
The Sheriff’s Administration staff members, the backbone of the Sheriff’s Office, worked diligently to provide exceptional support for accounting, budget, accounts payable, accounts receivable, travel for the entire agency, grant reporting, and contract review. Recognizing this unit is understaffed, they worked as a team to ensure their customers within the Sheriff’s Office, County, and public are supported while frequently taking on responsibilities outside their regular duties to ensure the Sheriff’s Office continues operating smoothly.
They often work extra hours, including weekends and holidays, if necessary, to ensure bills are paid and everyone receives their paycheck. The administrative team is the day-to-day operational foundation of the Sheriff’s Office, and their dedication and professionalism are greatly appreciated.
2024 Annual Unit Merit Award is presented to the Sheriff’s Public Disclosure and Civil Unit
Luara Baseler, Dominique Blanchard, Shawna Kennedy, Tiffany Kinnick, Lynn Komarek, Elise Vandenberghe,
Alex Yeverino, Sergeant Gavin Pratt, Deputy Brian Hert, Deputy David Lawhorn, and Deputy Ryan Walter
The Sheriff’s Civil Unit collaborates closely with the Public Records Staff and serves as a natural, progressive step for the Civil Unit staff to promote. This has led to a continual state of transition and understaffing within the Civil Unit, creating an extra expectation for PDR staff to aid in training and support for the Civil Unit while managing their own work responsibilities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington State implemented a moratorium on evictions, resulting in a backlog. In 2022, new legislation was passed to overhaul the domestic violence protection order process, which included stricter gun restrictions and mandated an initial service attempt within 24 hours of granting the order. This and tackling the backlogs put considerable pressure on the Civil Unit’s capabilities. Their combined efforts resulted in 6,115 service attempts, 3,807 papers served, and 1,490 evictions, surpassing the previous five years’ statistics.
The Public Disclosure Unit has also seen an increase in public disclosure requests over the last few years, receiving 5359 requests, with a significant increase in requests for body-worn camera footage. The members of these units have worked extra hours to ensure our community continues to receive the same excellent level of service they have come to expect.
Purple Heart Award
K9 Max, Handler Deputy Alexx Bullion
Deputy Bullion and his K9 partner Max responded to a person with a weapon call where probable cause was established to arrest the suspect on multiple charges, and a search warrant was granted. During the execution of the search warrant, Deputy Bullion deployed K9 Max to apprehend the armed suspect. Deputies facing a lethal threat from the suspect, and with Max now between them and the armed suspect, were forced to fire their weapons in self-defense. Unfortunately, Max was struck by two bullets and rushed to the emergency veterinarian clinic, where his injuries were treated.
K9 Max was released into Deputy Bullion’s care after spending three days at a pet emergency clinic and underwent intense rehabilitation for the next three months. While thankfully K9 Max physically recovered from his injuries, the mental trauma from the incident persisted, impacting his performance in training and real-world deployments. Despite extensive efforts to help him regain his confidence and overcome the trauma, it became clear after many months of training and consultations with multiple experts that he could not be rehabilitated to a level suitable for safe deployment.
Detective Nicholas E. Kauffman
(Deputy at the Time)
On August 22, 2024, Deputies were dispatched to Dalton Road and Wildrose for a welfare check/person in crisis call after numerous residents reported that a woman was running through their yards, trying to kick in doors, and yelling for help. Deputy Ballou recognized the woman’s description and provided a possible name.
Deputy Kauffman and Moser arrived and began to follow the suspect as she walked east in the middle of Wildrose Road. Deputy Kauffman repeatedly told her they wanted to help and that she was being detained, but she continued walking toward Dalton Road. Familiar with her, Deputy Kauffman advised Deputy Moser that she was known to carry pepper spray and suggested that he retrieve his patrol car and position it in front of her. At the same time, a white pickup slowed at the intersection, and the suspect approached the truck’s passenger door, yelling for help and requesting a ride. Deputy Kauffman approached the suspect from the rear, reached out, and placed his hands on her shoulders to redirect her away from the uninvolved motorist. She immediately spun around, now armed with pepper spray and a large fixed-blade knife. Unprovoked, she sprayed Deputy Kauffman while simultaneously stabbing him in the left clavicle area.
Not realizing he had been stabbed, Deputy Kauffman remained calm and gave multiple commands to the suspect to drop the knife and pepper spray. Deputy Moser approached her slowly, and with her noncompliant and assaultive behavior, he deployed his taser, causing her to fall to the ground. Deputy Kauffman, now bleeding heavily, struggled to get her secured handcuffs and was ultimately successful. Deputy Moser noticed and asked about the large amount of blood saturating the front of Deputy Kauffman’s uniform, and Deputy Kauffman replied that he had been stabbed in the neck. Deputy Moser maintained control of the struggling detained female while Deputy Kauffman began to self-treat his wound with combat gauze and quick clot.
Deputy Kauffman was transported to the hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair damaged blood vessels. He remained hospitalized for observation for a day, then was released to go home to recover. The suspect was ultimately booked into jail for first and second-degree assault.
Sheriffs’ Star Award
Awarded at the Direction of the Sheriff
Detective Michael Drapeau
Sheriff Nowels would like to recognize Detective Drapeau for his work in solving a nearly 45-year-old cold case involving the murder and sexual assault of 16-year-old victim Krisann Baxter. On October 4, 1978, Krisann’s lifeless body was discovered after she had been reported as a runaway by her mother a week earlier. Over the years, DNA testing, genealogical samples, and ultimately, family DNA comparisons were processed, enabling Detective Drapeau to identify Krisann Baxter’s killer. This DNA process took over 17 years, initiated by Detective Marske in 2006, with Detective Drapeau later taking over the case. Detective Drapeau is recognized for his dedication and tenacity, which led to the resolution of this cold case.
Contessa Tucker
Contessa is relied upon by many within the Sheriff’s Office. She is always available to step up and assist whenever asked, and her knowledge and understanding of grants and contracts are exceptional. When the Sheriff’s Office faced a staffing shortage, Contessa became the subject matter expert and ensured compliance for each grant until we could hire someone to fill the positions. Contessa has been invaluable to the success of the grants and contracts program for the Sheriff’s Office. Subsequently, Contessa worked with and trained the new employee to ensure her success. This early accomplishment reflects the new employee’s abilities but highlights Contessa’s expertise and dedication to teaching her how to perform the required tasks.
In addition to her extra duties and regular job, Contessa completed her college education and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
This Spokane County Sheriff Office news article "Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Staff and Deputies Honored 2023-2024" was originally found on https://www.spokanecounty.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?CID=7