SIIR Investigates Officer-Involved Shooting Incident on April 17, 2021
The Spokane Independent Investigation Response (SIIR) Team continues the independent investigation into the Spokane Police Officer-involved shooting incident that occurred on April 17, 2021.
SIIR Investigators remained at the scene of the incident, located in the 500 block of S. Cannon Street, for several hours as they processed evidence with the assistance of Spokane County Sheriff’s Forensic Unit personnel.
The suspect has been identified by the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office as 38-year-old Vadim A. Grishchuk after an autopsy, and his family was of has been advised. At that time, the Medical Examiner determined the manner of Grishchuk’s death was “suicide” caused by a “self-inflicted, perforating, contact gunshot wound to head”.
The incident began on April 17, 2021, when a victim reported an adult white male broke into the victim’s vehicle, parked on Cannon. The victim advised when confronted, the suspect pointed a handgun directly at him. He said the suspect may have located his (victim’s) handgun, which was loaded and secured in his vehicle.
Spokane Police Officers arrived quickly, finding the suspect, armed with a pistol, still inside the victim’s vehicle.
From information learned during the investigation thus far, almost immediately after the first Officers arrived at the scene and began to give commands, one shot was fired from inside the victim’s vehicle in the direction of the Officers. One Officer fired back toward the suspect.
Once Officers at the scene determined it was safe, they contacted the suspect and began life-saving efforts until they were relieved by medical personnel. Despite everyone’s efforts, the suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene.
No uninvolved citizens or SPD Officers were injured during this incident. The involved Officer was placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure.
SIIR Investigators did recover a loaded handgun and a spent casing from inside the victim’s vehicle the suspect had entered illegally.
The SIIR Team is comprised of agencies in Spokane County, including the Washington State Patrol, Spokane Valley Police Department, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Airway Heights Police Department, and the Spokane Police Department.
As an involved agency, Spokane Police Department personnel will not be involved in this investigation in compliance with WAC 139-12, which was developed after the passage of I940 and HB1064.
- The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is the managing agency in this incident. All future communications for this incident will be sent via the SIIR Team.
- The Spokane Police Department will release the name of the involved Officer at a later time.
- Once the SIIR Team investigation is complete, the case will be forwarded to the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office for review.