Submitted by Fox First at Ten on August 22nd
Spokane Police Department Press Release:
Spokane Police officers recovered a handgun stolen from the car of a Cheney Police officer and located and arrested a suspect in the crime all within 4 days. Because the theft of a weapon can pose a great risk to public safety, Spokane Police worked diligently to locate the suspect and recover the stolen weapon as quickly as possible.
On August 18, 2012, an off duty Cheney Police officer was putting his duty gear in his patrol car parked inside the garage of his home at 1900 W. Courtland. While he was in the backyard, the Cheney officer watched a male grab a bag containing his Glock 22 .40 caliber handgun out of the car and run down the street. The Cheney officer chased the suspect but was unable to catch him.
Even though Spokane Police officers did not have a good description of the suspect Ofc. Glen Bartlett was able to locate the suspect vehicle and speak to the registered owner who stated her ex-boyfriend Donald R. Kerney had been driving the car. Officers located a credit card belonging to Kerney inside the center console, as well as a .40 caliber round.
After spending nearly 2 days following up on leads, officers received information that Kerney had traded the handgun for methamphetamine. Kerney was located and booked into the Spokane County Jail for Residential Burglary, Theft of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and 1st Degree Trafficking in Stolen Property . Early this morning, Ofc. Bartlett recovered the stolen handgun and it has been placed in safekeeping for Cheney Police.
