Wanted felon 19-year-old William E. Crist attempted to avoid arrest and tried to hide from Spokane Valley Deputies, including Deputy Kullman and his partner, K9 Khan. Even after multiple K9 warnings, along with K9 Khan loudly announcing his presence, Crist chose to not follow commands and surrender. K9 Khan was deployed and quickly located Crist who continued to struggle and resist arrest.
On January 8, 2018, just after 10:00 p.m., Spokane Valley Deputy Tyler Kullman was parked in a parking lot near Coleman and Appleway when he observed a dark colored SUV, occupied by two males, drive out of a parking lot and travel south on Coleman. The driver, later identified as Crist, looked at the patrol car and quickly turned his head away. Deputy Kullman recognized the driver as a wanted subject they had searched for in the past and heard the engine of the SUV rev as the vehicle accelerated.
As Deputy Kullman attempted to catch up to the vehicle, it turned west on 2nd Ave. without signaling the turn. When Deputy Kullman turned on 2nd Ave., he observed the vehicle pull in front of a residence approximately a block and a half away. Both males exited the vehicle and ran into the house located in the 6900 block of E. 2nd Ave.
While waiting in the area, Deputy Kullman learned there had been multiple warrant calls at the residence for a white male, William E. Crist. He pulled up Crist’s booking photo and confirmed he was the driver of the SUV. Dispatch confirmed Crist had an active Washington State Department of Corrections Escape Community Custody felony warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance.
Deputy Kullman and Deputy Wallace attempted to make contact at the front door while additional units covered the back of the house to block potential escape routes. At the front door, they contacted a female who agreed to check the house for Crist. A short time later, she came back to the door and advised she couldn’t find him and welcomed the Deputies inside to check.
Several people were contacted inside, including the male passenger form the vehicle, but Crist was not located. No one could say where Crist had gone but indicated he might have fled out the back or tried to hide.
Deputy Kullman returned to his vehicle to retrieve K9 Khan. They went to back yard and with Deputy Acosta and gave verbal K9 warnings advising Crist he was under arrest and needed to surrender or a K9 would be used to search the back yard and if the K9 located him, he would be bitten. With no response from Crist, K9 Khan began searching the yard toward the deck. Along the back side of the deck, K9 Khan’s behavior changed, his ears perked up, and he pulled against his lead toward the deck which was covered with furniture, garbage, and other miscellaneous items.
Unable to see under the deck, Deputy Kullman gave four more K9 warnings in addition to giving K9 Khan a command to bark, which Khan followed multiple times, but Crist still refused to show himself and surrender. When K9 Khan was deployed, he immediately went up onto the deck, through the piles of trash, and made contact with Crist who was hiding under a tarp and some boxes. Instead of following commands, Crist began to struggle and a small hammer type item, with two sharp metal points on either end, fell to the ground. Deputy Wallace and Deputy Acosta moved in to take control of Crist while Deputy Kullman had K9 Khan release his hold.
Crist continued to fight the efforts of the Deputies, resisted arrest, and disregarded their commands to comply but the Deputies were able to gain control after a short struggle.
Crist was provided medical attention due to the K9 contact prior to being transported and booked into the Spokane County Jail for the felony warrant in addition to new charges of Resisting Arrest and Obstructing.
Crist did inform Deputies he heard the K9 warnings but didn’t surrender because he was tired of going to jail and he didn’t think K9 Khan would find him.
(story: KHQ.com; photo: Spokane County Sheriff's Office)