Suspect Arrested Following Early Morning Assault with a Knife
The Spokane Valley Deputies responded to a fight call involving two or three subjects. Deputies located all three of the persons involved, eventually arresting one for Assault 1st Degree.
On August 29, 2020, at approximately 4:55 a.m., Spokane Valley Deputies responded to a reported fight on the Appleway Trail, near Sullivan.
Deputy Van Patten arrived at the location and contacted one of the victims. He stated the suspect, later identified as 44-year-old Jamy R. Zehm, threatened him and the second victim with a knife while they slept on the Appleway Trail. He said he defended himself, and Zehm was leaving the area, walking west on the trail.
Deputy Van Patten provided the information to the other Deputies responding to assist and drove to Adams and the trail. She observed Zehm walking quickly toward her position. Not knowing if Zehm was still armed with a knife, she turned on her patrol vehicle’s emergency lights and spotlight. She gave Zehm commands to stop walking over her vehicle’s PA system, which Zehm initially ignored. After she repeated the commands, Zehm stopped and began to comply. Zehm, who was bleeding profusely from his head, was safely detained and provided medical treatment.
The first victim stated he was awoken when Zehm kicked over the victim’s bike and cart. He noticed a knife in Zehm’s hand as Zehm said he would kill the two men. He knocked the knife from Zehm’s hand as Zehm lunged toward him. He yelled for the second victim to wake up as Zehm retrieved the knife. When Zehm lunged toward the second victim, the first, fearing for his and the second victim’s life, hit Zehm over the head with a pipe. Soon after, Zehm observed the Deputies arriving and left the location traveling west on the trail.
The second victim gave a similar account of the assault and how it occurred but stated he did not wish to pursue charges against Zehm.
Zehm told Deputy Lang that he was whistling while walking on the trail to get cigarettes. Suddenly a male (the first victim), holding a large pipe, jumped out of the bushes and yelled at Zehm to shut up. The male began assaulting Zehm with the pipe without saying another word. After being forced to the ground, he got up and walked away until Deputies contacted him. Zehm claimed he was not armed with a knife during the incident.
Deputies located Zehm’s knife near the trail approximately 100’ east of Adams. His brother, who had arrived at the scene to see what was happening, confirmed the knife was Zehm’s.
After receiving medical attention, Zehm was transported and booked into the Spokane County Jail for Assault 1st Degree.
