A man shot by Okanogan County Sheriff’s deputies and an Omak Police detective after the man allegedly shot several rounds at the officers died from his injuries at Mid-Valley Hospital in Omak last week.
Okanogan County deputies and an Omak Police Department detective “had cause to contact a vehicle” occupied by Ryan Bass, age 39, shortly before noon on March 3 in Riverside, according to a press release from the North Central Washington Special Investigation Unit.
Bass was being sought for multiple felony warrants, Okanogan County Sheriff Tony Hawley said in a press release about the shooting.
Bass allegedly pulled out a firearm and shot several rounds towards the officers. Two deputies and the Omak detective returned fire, striking Bass, according to the special investigation unit, which is conducting an independent investigation at Hawley’s request.
The officers performed CPR until emergency medical services arrived and transported Bass to Mid-Valley Hospital, where he died from his injuries. None of the police officers were injured.
The deputies and the detective have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in this type of incident, according to the investigation unit.
The nature of the felony warrants, how many times Bass was shot, and when he died at the hospital are still under investigation, according to Sergeant Nathan Hahn with the Wenatchee Police Department, public information officer for the investigation unit. The names of the officers are not being released yet, Hahn said.
The special investigation unit is a multi-jurisdictional team with representatives from the Okanogan, Chelan and Douglas county sheriff’s offices, the Wenatchee and East Wenatchee police departments, and the Washington State Patrol. The unit is seeking additional witnesses and/or evidence related to the shooting. Any witnesses or those who have images or videos that have not been contacted by an investigator are asked to call Hahn at (509) 888-4251.
