Road Rage Shooting

On Monday, January 14, 2013, at 6:30 a.m., Spokane Valley Sheriff's Deputy Griffin Criswell responded to a drive-by shooting call in the area of 8th and Dishman Mica. The adult male victim told 911 he was no longer at the scene and was available for contact at his place of employment.

The victim told Deputy Criswell he had been behind the suspect's vehicle at the northbound stop light on Dishman Mica and Schafer. He said the suspect was having a difficult time accelerating on the snow when the signal turned green so he decided to change lanes and go around the vehicle. The victim said when they reached the northbound stop light at Dishman Mica and 8th he saw the suspect, later identified as 46-year-old Darren Palmer, waiving a handgun at him. Palmers vehicle was in the outside lane on the passenger side of the victim's vehicle.

The victim said he did not respond to Palmer and that when the signal turned green, he saw Palmer reach out his window and shoot at the front passenger tire of his vehicle. Although shaken, the victim was able to write down the license plate number of Palmer's vehicle.

Through his investigation, Deputy Criswell was able to locate a phone number for Palmer. Deputy Criswell arranged a meeting with Palmer and Palmer admitted he did in fact shoot the victim's tire. His reason was that the victim had cut him off nearly putting him in the ditch. Palmer gave Deputy Criswell the .22 caliber Ruger Mark II pistol used to shoot the victims vehicle.

• Palmer was booked into Spokane County Jail on the felony charge of Drive-By-Shooting.