Investigation of shooting by Reardan police chief closed

The Lincoln County Prosecutor has received the complete and comprehensive report from the Spokane Investigative Regional Response Team regarding the officer-involved shooting in Reardan on December 19, 2011.

The report indicates that on that date Reardan Police Department Chief Gary Redmond, while on-duty, made a routine check of the Reardan Memorial Cemetery following a weekend. Upon driving into the cemetery’s east entrance, Redmond observed a vehicle parked at the southern end of the vehicle path inside the cemetery. Redmond then noticed a male (later identified as John R. Merrick, a Reardan resident) standing outside and behind the vehicle. Redmond drove his patrol car up to the front of Merrick’s vehicle and parked approximately 40 feet away. Redmond then got out of his vehicle and walked toward Merrick, giving him a verbal greeting. Merrick did not verbally respond but only stared at Redmond. Merrick then reached into the open driver’s door of his vehicle. Merrick then stood back up, pointed a handgun at Redmond and fired.

Redmond responded by drawing his duty weapon from his holster and returned fire while moving back toward his vehicle for cover. Redmond states that he remembers the driver’s door window breaking and Merrick squatting down behind the door. Merrick and Redmond continued to exchange fire, with a total of seven rounds fired; three from Redmond and four from Merrick.

During the gunfire exchange, Redmond had called for back-up. Reardan Reserve Police Deputy John Shields was the first to respond, followed by Lincoln County Sheriff Wade Magers and Lincoln County Chief Criminal Deputy Brian Telford. Magers and Telford tactically approached Merrick’s vehicle while armed with shotguns and ultimately found Merrick on his knees behind the open vehicle door. He was pronounced dead at that point.

The Spokane Investigative Regional Response Team, consisting of investigators comprised of detectives from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Police Department and the Washington State Patrol, was called to conduct the investigation. Its report indicates that Merrick died of a single gunshot wound to his right chest. Chief Redmond was uninjured in the gunfire exchange.

The investigation reveals that Merrick may have been depressed and despondent over the death of his mother, who had died approximately a year prior to this incident and whose remains are lodged at the Reardan Memorial Cemetery.

Chief Redmond served a twelve- year stint with the Spokane County S.W.A.T. team and credits his years of training with his rapid and accurate response to the situation.

The Lincoln County Prosecutor’s Office will now close its file on this incident.