Police officer out of hospital; suspects named in Sunday's shooting

Jun. 27—A Spokane police officer who was shot in the leg and had a bullet graze his scalp during a drive-by shooting Sunday afternoon has been released from the hospital.

Officer Kris Honaker received two staples in two different parts of his head to close his wounds. He has since been released from the hospital and is recuperating, according to the police department.

The two men suspected in the shooting, Ray A. Wynecoop, 22, and Isaac A. Ott, 21, are jailed in lieu of $1 million bond. They are accused of first degree attempted murder, first degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm. Wynecoop is also suspected of attempting to elude police.

The two men appeared in court Monday afternoon.

"Being released from the hospital is a terrific sign, but the steps and timeframe required for recovery are still uncertain," said Cpl. Nick Briggs, a department spokesman.

Honaker has been with the police department since 1995. He has served in numerous roles and received the department's life-saving award. Until recently, he served as the president of the Spokane Police Guild.

Initially, police responded to reports of a drive-by shooting at 1625 Garland Ave. at 1:40 p.m. on Sunday, according to court documents. Minutes later, there was a separate report of a drive-by shooting near the 3000 block of N. Martin Street.

Police received reports the suspects fled in a black or dark blue car at both shootings.

Responding to the scene, Officer Michele Kernkamp saw a parked black vehicle with a male passenger who appeared to be filming her as she drove by Perry Street and Foothills Drive. As she continued driving north on Perry Street, the vehicle started following closely behind. When she sped up, so did the suspect vehicle. The vehicle then attempted to drive parallel to her vehicle in the southbound lane, so she cut it off, believing that the occupants were going to shoot at her.

At the same time, Honaker was also approaching the area while traveling south on Perry Street. Wynecoop and Ott fired on Honaker's vehicle as the two vehicles passed each other at Perry Street and Empire Avenue, court documents said. The shooting sparked a swarm of law enforcement in the area.

Honaker was taken to Sacred Heart about 10 minutes later in a patrol vehicle and was bleeding profusely from the head when he arrived, court documents said.

The suspects fled, but additional officers located a black 2014 Chrysler 300 a minute after the shooting and gave chase, according to investigators with the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, the agency investigating the shooting.

Spokane police officers pursued the suspect vehicle to the intersection of Liberty Avenue and Nevada Street where it crashed into a tree. Officers attempted to box the vehicle in, but the suspects were able to drive away, documents said. Police later recovered a semi-automatic pistol from the scene of the crash.

The suspects then drove down Dalton, but crashed again at 611 E. Dalton Ave. Ott and Wynecoop then got out of the vehicle, and tried to run away. They split up in their effort to escape but officers quickly apprehended them.

A .22 caliber bullet that matched the type discovered in the semi-automatic pistol was found in one of Wynecoop's pockets. Police also discovered five .22-caliber shell casings at the intersection where Honaker was shot.

The sheriff's office and police department major crime units are investigating if shootings were gang-related. The sheriff's office expects to recommend additional charges as the investigation continues.

Both Wynecoop and Ott have prior felony convictions. Wynecoop's prior convictions include burglary, car theft, attempted residential burglary, and attempting to elude police, the sheriff's office said. Ott's prior convictions include residential burglary and robbery.

In 2019, Ott was arrested for shooting at a teenage boy after robbing him in Spokane Valley. He later pleaded guilty to first degree robbery and was sentenced to more than four years in prison.

Both were under Washington State Department of Corrections supervision and released early.

This is the second time a Spokane police officer has been shot in the line of duty in recent years.

Officer Juan Rodriguez was shot in the leg during a gunfire exchange in 2020 while pursuing a carjacking suspect. Prior to Rodriguez's injury, the last time a Spokane police officer was struck by gunfire in the line of duty was in 1991 during a high-speed pursuit that started in Stevens County.