SPOKANE, Wash. – Hoyt Webb, the man accused of shooting Thomas Hatch while live streaming, pled guilty and now faces a 39-month sentence in jail.
Webb was live streaming in downtown Spokane on June 7, claiming to be affiliated with “Kootenai County Press,” when he shot Hatch. The incident left Hatch with life-threatening injuries, including the loss of a kidney, half of his bowels, and damage to a coronary artery.
During the sentencing, Eric Kessler, the victim’s brother, expressed his feelings. “I don’t know what else to say. I can’t even look at him. It’s hard.”
Court documents stated that Webb was walking near Division and Short in downtown Spokane, live streaming to YouTube and heckling people when the shooting occurred. Webb said he acted in self-defense but pled guilty to the class-B felony charge of second-degree assault.
Despite his plea, Webb maintained his self-defense claim, but Judge Dean Chuang sentenced him to just over three years in jail. Eric Kessler, dissatisfied with the sentence, remarked, “I still don’t believe what he got was fair.”
In addition to the jail sentence, Webb will serve 18 months of community custody and is subject to a 10-year no-contact order with the victim.
