The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
40°F
Current Conditions
Clear sky
View complete weather report
Subscribe now

Sheriff’s office ID’s deputies involved in fatal shooting of suspected child rapist near Deer Park

Several law enforcement vehicles were parked outside Deer Park City Hall Friday, April 5, 2024, after a deputy-involved shooting that left a man dead at a residence outside the city. (Garrett Cabeza/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)
Several law enforcement vehicles were parked outside Deer Park City Hall Friday, April 5, 2024, after a deputy-involved shooting that left a man dead at a residence outside the city. (Garrett Cabeza/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)
By Garrett Cabeza garrettc@spokesman.com(509) 459-5135

The three Spokane County Sheriff’s Office deputies who fired their weapons, killing a suspected child rapist after a standoff with him near Deer Park, have been identified.

The sheriff’s office said Deputy Josiah Loos and detectives Samuel Turner and Travis West were placed on administrative leave, per officer shooting protocol, after the incident left 43-year-old Donald Hegel dead March 29 southwest of Deer Park. All are members of the sheriff’s office SWAT team.

Multiple Spokane County Sheriff’s Office specialty units responded to the Deer Park home to assist the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office with arresting Hegel, who failed to show up to court earlier in the week on the sexual assault charges, according to a Spokane Independent Investigative Response Team news release.

Hegel was uncooperative and made comments asking officers to shoot him, the release said.

After several hours of trying to get Hegel to surrender, including deploying chemical munitions into the residence, the SWAT team entered the home, contacted Hegel and “responded to an immediate threat that resulted in the use of lethal force,” the release said.

Hegel was arrested five years ago after another standoff with law enforcement in Spokane Valley. He was wanted on Stevens County child rape and molestation charges in both standoffs, though it wasn’t clear whether the same alleged incident spurred both.

This was Loos’s second shooting at the sheriff’s office. Loos and another deputy were deemed justified by the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office in shooting and killing 38-year-old Colin Osborn in 2019 at a Spokane Valley business park.

Loos started his law enforcement career in 2019 when he was hired by the sheriff’s office.

Turner used lethal force in 2018 when he shot and killed 54-year-old suspected kidnapper Richard Bahr after prosecutors say Bahr rammed Turner’s patrol car. The Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office said the shooting was justified as well.

Turner started his career with the sheriff’s office in 2015 after serving with Idaho State Police. He was promoted to detective in November.

West started his career with the sheriff’s office in 2015 and was promoted to detective in 2023. He previously served as an avionics technician in the U.S. Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.