Two Spokane County sheriff’s deputies, Mason Acheson and Parker Perry, were fatally shot Nov. 3 as they moved in to rescue possible hostages inside a home near Spangle, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies first responded about 2:25 p.m. after a woman reported she had been shot, the sheriff’s office said. The office said they learned the suspect had an active felony warrant and might have access to additional weapons, and that with other victims possibly still inside they called in SWAT.
Perry, a K-9 deputy who answered the call with his dog Brego, joined a team approaching the house around 3:15 p.m. and forced his way in, the sheriff’s office said. Gunfire struck Perry and Acheson as they tried to enter, their teammates fired back, pulled them to cover and began treating their wounds, the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities called for medical helicopters and closed stretches of Interstate 90 and U.S. Highway 195 to assist in getting the deputies to the hospital, the Washington State Patrol said. Acheson died after being taken to the hospital; Perry remained on life support while arrangements were made for him to donate his organs, the sheriff’s office said.
After SWAT teams from Spokane and Kootenai County took over the scene, a drone sent inside found the suspect dead, the Washington State Patrol said. The Spokane County medical examiner determined Ryan Larsen, 37, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, The Spokesman-Review reported. The medical examiner also identified two other people killed as Suzanne Larsen, 72, and Rebecca Larsen, 45; a family obituary identified them as the suspect’s mother and sister, the newspaper reported.
Both deputies left behind spouses and two children, the sheriff’s office said; Perry and his wife were expecting a third child. The sheriff’s office also said Acheson and Perry served in the Washington Army National Guard and summarized each deputy’s prior service and assignments.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted tributes on X listing Nov. 4 as Acheson’s end of watch and Nov. 7 as Perry’s and said the bureau would support the families, the Fox News report said. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson ordered flags at state facilities lowered to half-staff Monday, Nov. 9, in the deputies’ honor.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said the Sheriff Community Oriented Policing Effort is accepting donations to help cover the deputies’ funeral expenses, with any remaining funds to go to their families. The sheriff’s office said the families had requested privacy.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
