SPOKANE, Wash. — A man faces charges of assault after investigators said he confronted a store owner with a knife, leading to a shooting near the Armed Forces Torchlight Parade on Saturday.
According to court documents, 32-year-old Charles Michael and a woman entered PM Jacoy’s and walked to the back of the store to look at ice cream. The two held the freezer open for an extended period of time despite a posted sign asking them to leave it closed. One of the store owners, Eui Hwang, asked if the two could leave if they weren’t going to buy anything.
When asked if they could leave, the woman threw a tub of ice cream on the ground, prompting Hwang to grab her by the hair in an attempt to escort her out of the store. Michael told police Hwang struck the woman twice after grabbing her. Michael proceeded to throw and hit Hwang in the head with his ice cream.
An employee and the owner’s son, Ryan Hwang, heard the altercation and ran over. The employee came first, armed with a “pipe or bar about 3-4′ long”, while Ryan came armed with a pistol.
Eui said Ryan shouted that Michael had a knife, which Michael told police was about a foot long with a seven-and-a-half-inch blade. Fearing for his boss’s safety and seeing Michael in a position to stab Eui, the employee started hitting Michael with the metal bar. Michael estimated he was hit about ten times. The woman then started attacking Ryan, which Eui said appeared to be an attempt to prevent Ryan from getting to Michael.
Ryan pulled out his gun while being assaulted by Michael and the woman. He demanded Michael drop the knife, but “no one was listening.”
The altercation eventually broke Ryan’s glasses, which police confirmed he needed to see properly.
Ryan used his left arm to try and keep Michael’s knife away and pull his father out of the fight as the woman continued to assault Ryan. Court documents said he hit the woman with his right arm, holding his gun with his right hand, when it accidentally discharged. None of the people police interviewed thought Ryan’s bullet hit anyone until they saw the blood on the store’s floor.
Both store employees brought the knife and pole used in the fight to the front of the store and secured the gun until police arrived.
All people involved were treated for their injuries and interviewed by law enforcement. Ryan was taken into custody and released shortly after.
Surveillance video was provided to police, but it is unknown if law enforcement has reviewed it at this time.
Police developed probable cause to arrest Michael with charges of assault in the first degree.
This incident remains an active investigation and additional arrests and charges are possible.
