Medical Lake residents fear cat shot, call 911

A neighbor on East Jim Darby Drive in Medical Lake called law enforcement on Tuesday afternoon, March 12, to report they feared a cat had been shot, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

The person, who told deputies that the sound of target shooting was common in the area, said they had heard a two shots and “feared” a cat that had wandered in the direction of the shooting had been shot, according to public information officer Deputy Mark Gregory.

The cat did not belong to the caller, Gregory said.

Responding officers were unable to confirm that shots had been fired or a cat shot.

Gregory noted that the location of the report is a no-shooting area.

East Jim Darby Drive is within the Medical Lake city limits, according to city officials, but near its southern border with Spokane County, where shooting is allowed, according to the county’s no shooting areas map.

No investigation occurred. Deputies’ hands are tied unless they actually see or hear shooting occurring in a no-shooting area, and thus have probable cause to investigate, Gregory said.

“If people are shooting in a no-shooting area, we’ll go look at that,” Gregory said. “But it always helps to see the shooting. We need more than, hey, it was a couple houses down.”

It is a misdemeanor to discharge a firearm in a no shooting area. Doing so can result in a year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000, Gregory said.

Lee Hughes can be reached at lee@cheneyfreepress.com