Two Washington state sheriff’s deputies were fatally shot as they moved in to rescue possible hostages after a woman called for help following a domestic violence shooting, according to authorities.
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woman → shoot → authorities
Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputies Mason Acheson and Parker Perry came under fire from inside the home near Spangle, south of Spokane, as they tried to get in on Nov. 3, the sheriff’s office said.
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office → come → Nov.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and Spokane Valley Police Department said they were devastated by the shooting and pledged to support the deputies’ families.
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they → say → families
"They bravely moved toward danger to protect others they did not know," the agencies said in a statement.
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agencies → move → statement
Deputies first responded around 2:25 p.m. after a woman reported she had been shot.
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she → respond → 2:25
The sheriff’s office said they learned the suspect had an active felony warrant and might have access to more weapons.
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suspect → say → weapons
With other victims possibly still inside, they called in SWAT.
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they → call → SWAT
The woman was taken to the hospital with injuries that appeared to be non-life-threatening.
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that → take → injuries
Perry, a K-9 deputy, answered the call with his dog, Brego.
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Perry → answer → dog
He joined the team approaching the house around 3:15 p.m. and forced his way in, the sheriff’s office said.
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office → join → way
When gunfire struck Perry and Acheson, their teammates fired back, pulled them to cover and began treating their wounds.
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teammates → strike → wounds
Authorities called for medical helicopters and closed stretches of Interstate 90 and U.S. Highway 195 to help get the deputies to the hospital, the Washington State Patrol said.
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Patrol → call → hospital
Acheson died after being taken to the hospital.
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Acheson → die → hospital
Perry remained on life support while arrangements were made for him to donate his organs.
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him → remain → organs
The sheriff’s office said he would "continue to serve others with the gift of life."
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he → say → life
Both men left behind wives and two children.
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men → leave → wives
Perry and his wife were expecting their third.
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Perry → expect → third
Back at the house, Spokane police took over the scene after SWAT teams from Spokane and Kootenai County were called in.
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teams → take → Spokane
A drone sent inside found the suspect dead, the State Patrol said.
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Patrol → send → suspect
The Spokane County medical examiner determined that Ryan Larsen, 37, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, The Spokesman-Review reported.
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Review → determine → wound
The medical examiner also identified two other people killed as Suzanne Larsen, 72, and Rebecca Larsen, 45.
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examiner → identify → Larsen
A family obituary identified them as Larsen’s mother and sister, according to the newspaper.
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obituary → identify → newspaper
"It was a very tragic day in Spokane County," Sheriff John Nowels told reporters, according to the outlet.
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Nowels → tell → outlet
"A lot of families have been affected."
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lot → affect → families
Acheson and Perry served in the same Washington Army National Guard infantry battalion, the sheriff's office shared.
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office → serve → battalion
Acheson enlisted in 2011, rose to sergeant and served in Poland from 2021 to 2022, earning three Army Commendation Medals during his military service.
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Acheson → enlist → service
He spent eight years as a Washington State Patrol trooper and firearms instructor before joining the sheriff’s office in 2022.
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He → spend → 2022
As a SWAT sniper, he watched over teammates as they went into dangerous scenes.
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they → watch → scenes
"In the face of danger, he stepped forward to preserve life," the sheriff’s office said of Acheson.
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office → step → Acheson
Perry joined the sheriff’s office in 2020 and spent three years on its SWAT team before becoming a K-9 deputy in 2025.
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Perry → join → 2025
He joined the Guard in 2017, rose to captain as a military intelligence officer and earned two Army Commendation Medals.
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He → join → Medals
When the call came in near Spangle, he responded "on his own, without prompting," the sheriff’s office said.
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office → come → prompting
FBI Director Kash Patel honored each deputy in a separate post on X, listing Nov. 4 as Acheson’s end of watch and Nov. 7 as Perry’s.
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Patel → honor → Perry
Patel noted that both men were military veterans and pledged the bureau’s support to their families, friends and colleagues.
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men → note → families
"They will have our full support," he wrote in both posts.
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he → have → posts
The FBI also issued separate tributes to Acheson and Perry.
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FBI → issue → Acheson
Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., said he knew Acheson and his wife from a CrossFit gym and that she was his children’s first piano teacher.
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she → say → gym
"Just wonderful people," he wrote in one tribute.
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he → write → tribute
In another post, Baumgartner asked people to keep both families in their prayers and said the deputies "both died protecting our community."
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deputies → ask → community
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson ordered flags at state facilities lowered to half-staff Monday, Nov. 9, in the deputies’ honor.
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flags → order → honor
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
