Updated

Updated · KHQ Right Now · Nov 8

Washington Orders Flags Lowered for 2 Spokane Deputies Killed in Spangle Shooting

Updated

Updated · KHQ Right Now · Nov 8

Washington Orders Flags Lowered for 2 Spokane Deputies Killed in Spangle Shooting

Q: What crucial details did drone surveillance miss before SWAT made their fatal emergency entry into the Spangle home?

The drones appear to have missed the most important tactical fact: the gunman was still in a position to ambush deputies from inside the house, likely concealed from the aerial view, even though officers had identified a body outside and believed other victims remained inside. Public accounts show deputies used drones to spot a dead person in the yard and to confirm there was still an active threat. They also had reason to believe at least one more person was inside and in danger, which drove the emergency entry. But nothing released so far indicates the drone provided a clear picture of the suspect’s exact location, firing position, condition, or whether he was waiting just inside the entry path. That gap proved critical. When SWAT and deputies tried to breach the door around 3:15 p.m., they were immediately met with gunfire from inside. Later reporting indicated the suspect, Ryan Larsen, was found dead in the home, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but that was only determined after an unmanned aerial vehicle was flown into the house after the shooting. In short, the drone surveillance before entry identified victims and danger, but it did not reveal the interior ambush setup, the suspect’s exact status, or the full location of the dead and injured inside the home. Those unknowns shaped the rushed rescue attempt that turned fatal for Deputies Mason Acheson and Parker Perry.

3 articles · Updated · KHQ Right Now · Nov 8

Gov. Bob Ferguson ordered flags lowered statewide on Nov. 9, and Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown extended local lowering through the weekend for Deputies Mason Acheson and Parker Perry.
The Spokane County Sheriff's Office identified Acheson and Perry as the deputies shot Nov. 3 while trying to rescue a potential hostage inside a home on South Smythe Road near Spangle.
Perry remained on life support as of Nov. 6 and was not expected to survive once support ended; Acheson had already died from the gunfire.
Ryan Larsen, 37, was found dead after the standoff, and two other people on the property were also found dead; a woman who first called 911 saying she had been shot survived with non-life-threatening injuries.
Both deputies were described as SWAT-trained National Guard veterans, underscoring the toll of a domestic violence call that escalated into one of Spokane County's deadliest law-enforcement shootings.

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KHQ Right Now1d ago

Spokane Deputies Acheson, Perry Shot in Spangle Domestic Violence Incident

Fox News1d ago

Two Washington deputies killed trying to rescue possible hostages after woman shot

Fox News1d ago

Spokane County deputies killed responding to domestic violence shooting | Fox News

6 Sources

How did a domestic violence call escalate into a deadly trap that claimed the lives of two elite Spokane deputies?

What crucial details did drone surveillance miss before SWAT made their fatal emergency entry into the Spangle home?

With an active felony warrant, how did the suspect obtain the weapons used to ambush law enforcement and murder his family?

Spokane County Deputies Killed in Line of Duty: Full Report on November 2026 Smythe Road Shooting, Community Response, and Policy Impact

Overview

On November 3, 2026, a domestic violence call in Spokane County escalated when Ryan T. Larsen shot his sister, prompting her to flee and call 911. Deputies arrived, used a drone to find a victim in the yard, and attempted a rescue entry, but were ambushed by Larsen’s gunfire, critically wounding Deputies Mason Acheson and Parker Perry. Both deputies later died from their injuries, with Perry’s organ donation marking his End of Watch. The incident led to a multi-agency investigation, statewide tributes, and the creation of a memorial fund to support the deputies’ families.

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