Spokane County deputies say a tense situation early Monday morning shows that there's no such thing as a "routine traffic stop."
Just before 3:30 a.m. on Monday, Deputy Kravtsov pulled over a car with expired registration tabs and no rear license plate lights. The driver, later identified as 35-year-old David D. Wood, pulled into a driveway in the 9800 block of N. Colfax Rd, north of the Division Wye, and stopped. While talking with Wood, the deputy recognized his passenger, 39-year-old Crystal E. Denny from previous contacts with her.
While running their names in his computer, Deputy Kravtsov learned Denny had a warrant out for her arrest. He went back to the car to detain Denny. As she was getting out of the car, an unidentified man came out of the house they were parked in front of, yelling that his family was being harassed. Soon after, a woman also came out of the house and the couple walked toward the deputy, who immediately called for backup.
A Spokane Police Officer responded to keep an eye on the people who came out of the house, while Deputy Kravtsov was putting Denny in handcuffs. While arresting Denny, the deputy looked back at Wood and saw him fidgeting with something underneath the driver's seat. Deputy Kravtsov shouted at Wood, "What are you doing? What is that?" as he moved to draw his weapon. Wood told the deputy it was "a gun" as his hand came into view holding a black handgun with the muzzle pointed toward the floor of the car. Wood dropped the gun immediately and followed the deputies commands. Wood was taken out of his car and detained.
Wood told the deputy it was an airsoft pellet gun and admitted that he had meth in the vehicle. Deputy Kravtsov retrieved the realistic-looking gun that had the orange tip scratched off and painted black.
Wood said he had the gun in his pocket and tried to put it on the floor while everything else was happening. When the deputy noticed him, Wood said he thought it would be a good idea to show that the gun wasn't real.
Both Wood and Denny were taken to the Spokane County Jail. Wood was booked for possession and Denny was booked on her misdemeanor warrant. Wood was issued a ticket for the expired tabs.
(story: Matt Pusatory, KHQ Local News Web Producer; image: KHQ.com)