VIDEO: Air 1 and K9 Units Assist Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in Locating Burglary Suspects

Spokane Regional Air Support Unit (SRASU) Air 1 and two K9 Units responded to assist Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputies with a possible burglary in progress at a cell phone tower site near Sprague, Washington.  All three suspects were taken into custody and booked into the Lincoln County Jail.  

On October 22, 2024, an alert citizen reported a suspicious vehicle to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO).  The caller stated the suspicious vehicle was near his property and later observed it near a cell phone tower outside Sprague, WA.

LCSO Deputies responded, located the vehicle, and observed indications that the building had been unlawfully entered.  As they investigated, LCSO Deputies heard voices from inside the building, successfully ordered one suspect out, and took him into custody.  Two additional suspects fled on foot into the brush.  

LCSO requested the assistance of Spokane Regional Air Support Unit’s (SRASU) Air 1 and K9 Units to help locate the fleeing suspects.   Multiple announcements for the suspects to surrender and warnings that a K9 would be used to find them were given, including warnings over Air 1’s PA system.      

With the assistance of several citizens, Air 1, two SCSO K9 Units, and several Washington State Patrol (WSP) Troopers, LCSO Deputies took the two fleeing suspects into custody.  All three suspects were booked into the Lincoln County Jail for burglary charges.

This is another example of citizens and multiple law enforcement agencies working together to keep our communities safe while holding those who commit crimes accountable.    

The accompanying Air 1 video clips show one suspect hiding in the thick brush as a K9 Unit and Deputies approach.  The K9 contacted the suspect, who continued to hide despite several warnings.  Deputies took him into custody without further incident, and he was provided medical attention for minor injuries.     

SRASU Air 1 Flight Crew

Pilot

Adam Schroeter

 Tactical Flight Officer (TFO)        

Greg Thompson, Spokane Police Department

Louis Acosta, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office

This Spokane County Sheriff Office news article "VIDEO: Air 1 and K9 Units Assist Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in Locating Burglary Suspects" was originally found on https://www.spokanecounty.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?CID=7