Submitted by Fox First at Ten on October 6th
Spokane Police Department Press Release:
On September 6, 2012, just after 5pm, Spokane Police Department patrol officers responded to a burglary near 900 E. 8th Ave. The female victim said a man knocked on her front door, but no one was there when she answered. She then saw the suspect walking out of her dining room, carrying her camera. When she confronted the suspect, he hit her in the head. He knocked her to the ground and struck her repeatedly. The suspect then picked up the victim and threw her down a long flight of concrete stairs. The victim, who is 62 years old, sustained significant injuries and went to the hospital for treatment. The victim required surgery for a broken arm. Officers taking the initial report had very few leads to pursue.
Members of the Spokane Police Department Patrol Anti Crime Team (PACT) spent a significant amount of time investigating this case for the past four weeks. On Friday October 5, 2012 PACT officers arrested David J. Bassford (38 years of age) for this incident. It appears Bassford was working alone. He was booked into jail for 1st Degree Robbery, 1st Degree Burglary, and 2nd Degree Assault.
The Spokane Police Department aggressively pursued all possible leads in this case. This resulted in the arrest of a very violent offender who could have potentially victimized other members of our community. The police department wants to alert the community that it is a very common practice for burglars to knock on front doors of residences and after getting no response to force the door open or to go around the back of the house to break in.
