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Newly released SPD body cam footage shows how dangerous domestic violence calls can be

Spokane Police released body cam footage of a deadly shooting between officers and an armed suspect on Wednesday. It happened last November in Hillyard as police were responding to a domestic violence case.

SPOKANE, Wash. — Police officers are trained to deal with many different types of intense situations.

One of the biggest parts of their job is assessing the situation and surveying the environment. This is especially the case with domestic cases and stakeouts.

Spokane Police released body cam footage of a deadly shooting between officers and an armed suspect on Wednesday. It happened last November in Hillyard as police were responding to a domestic violence case. It shows just how dangerous these types of calls can be for responding officers.

"Domestic violence is a very emotionally charged situation that can be very unpredictable," said Spokane Police Sgt. Art Dollard.

Every year, police respond to thousands of calls about domestic violence and sometimes they can be high-stake situations.

"A lot of officers across the country get hurt every year in these types of situations, so we want them to be very vigilant," Dollard said.

Most times, more than one officer will respond to a call about domestic violence. Dollard said this is so they can provide as much support as they can to the victim. It is also to make sure that an officer has back up, in case the suspect acts out.

"Maybe they're now outside, or they've walked down the block, so officers are already starting to take into account that they're going to have to pay attention to a 360-degree environment," Dollard said.

This is just what they had to do back in November 2017. Police were responding to a domestic violence call, but when they arrived, the suspect had already left the home. Just a little later, he showed up and started firing at the officers. These are the types of situations Dollard said are the most important that they prepare for.

"We want them to start thinking about the call, mentally preparing for all the schemas, all the things that could potentially happen," he explained.

When they are working on these cases, Dollard said they spend a lot of time in their cars, gathering information and assessing the scene. It's like their office. Because they may still be focusing on dealing with a case, Dollard suggests that if you seem them in their car and just want to say hello, to give them a wave as you're approaching so they know you're just a friendly face.

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