Shooter of Stevens County deputy wanted to ‘go out in a blaze of glory,’ family warned

The man who was identified as the shooter of a Stevens County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) deputy reportedly told his family he wanted to “go out in a blaze of glory.”

Jim Jordan, 66, was identified as the man who died after a gunfight with law enforcement outside a home in Suncrest Tuesday, the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) told The Spokesman-Review.

Stevens County deputy found himself in gunfight while responding to burglary at Suncrest home

Early Tuesday morning, a deputy responded to a burglary at a home in the 16400 block of N. Suncrest Drive and found himself in the middle of a gunfight while attempting to enter the home.

The deputy sustained gunshot wounds to his upper torso and is recovering after surgery at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. The deputy has yet to be identified.

Following the shooting, other local law enforcement officers attempted to negotiate with Jordan while he remained inside the home, but he eventually ceased all communication.

Officers later deployed a drone into the home, which revealed Jordan was dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to an SCSO press release obtained by The Spokesman-Review.

The Stevens County Coroner’s Office, alongside the Spokane County Medical Examiner, is still determining the cause and manner of Jordan’s death.

Court records revealed that Jordan owns the home in Suncrest with his wife, who currently has a no-contact order against Jordan for a domestic violence-related incident from last month.

Jordan charged with assault, unlawful imprisonment after March domestic violence incident

Jordan had been charged with several crimes, including assault, unlawful imprisonment, and harassment in connection with the domestic violence incident. On March 24, Jordan’s wife called 911 to report that he had become violent and dragged her around the house, tied her with zip-ties, took her phone, and grabbed a gun, causing her to fear for her life during the previous altercation.

Jordan’s wife was able to escape and head toward her daughter’s home in Idaho. Her daughter noted she had also received threats from Jordan, according to court documents obtained by The Spokesman-Review.

In March, Jordan’s family told deputies they were worried about law enforcement responding to the Suncrest home because he had claimed he would “go out in a blaze of glory” and engage in a gunfight with police.

While speaking with Idaho law enforcement, Jordan’s wife continued to express how Jordan would tell her he would kill her and the police if they responded to the Suncrest home. At the time, deputies believed there was enough information to arrest Jordan for his domestic violence-related crimes, and located him near the Suncrest Rosauers that same day.

Deputies entered the home and seized several firearms from a safe, according to court records. Jordan denied making any threats towards his daughter and denied using a firearm during the altercation with his wife.

State Patrol to investigate whether deputy’s use of force was justified

On March 25, a no-contact order was issued, and Jordan was prohibited from possessing firearms as well as being within 1,000 feet of the Suncrest home, according to The Spokesman-Review.

Jordan posted bail on March 27, and his case was set to go to trial this summer.

SCSO noted deputies “knew Jordan was a risk” due to his previous arrest, but were unaware that he was the suspect inside the home during the Tuesday shooting, the sheriff’s office told The Spokesman-Review via email.

The burglary was initially reported by a resident who was not at home during that time, but could see an intruder accessing the garage on a security camera, according to Stevens County Sheriff Brad Manke.

The Washington State Patrol will lead the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the SCSO deputy firing their weapon. In any case of a deputy or officer firing their weapon, law enforcement agencies that are a part of Washington’s Office of Independent Investigations will try to determine whether the use of deadly force was justified.

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