Two Washington deputies killed trying to rescue possible hostages after woman shot
Two Washington state sheriff’s deputies were fatally shot as they moved in to rescue possible hostages after a woman called for help following a domestic violence shooting, according to authorities.
Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputies Mason Acheson and Parker Perry came under fire from inside the home near Spangle, south of Spokane, as they tried to get in on Nov. 3, the sheriff’s office said.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and Spokane Valley Police Department said they were devastated by the shooting and pledged to support the deputies’ families.
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"They bravely moved toward danger to protect others they did not know," the agencies said in a statement. "They are true examples of selfless service and dedication."
Deputies first responded around 2:25 p.m. after a woman reported she had been shot.
The sheriff’s office said they learned the suspect had an active felony warrant and might have access to more weapons. With other victims possibly still inside, they called in SWAT. The woman was taken to the hospital with injuries that appeared to be non-life-threatening.
Perry, a K-9 deputy, answered the call with his dog, Brego. He joined the team approaching the house around 3:15 p.m. and forced his way in, the sheriff’s office said.
When gunfire struck Perry and Acheson, their teammates fired back, pulled them to cover and began treating their wounds. Authorities called for medical helicopters and closed stretches of Interstate 90 and U.S. Highway 195 to help get the deputies to the hospital, the Washington State Patrol said.
Acheson died after being taken to the hospital. Perry remained on life support while arrangements were made for him to donate his organs. The sheriff’s office said he would "continue to serve others with the gift of life." Both men left behind wives and two children. Perry and his wife were expecting their third.
Back at the house, Spokane police took over the scene after SWAT teams from Spokane and Kootenai County were called in. A drone sent inside found the suspect dead, the State Patrol said.
The Spokane County medical examiner determined that Ryan Larsen, 37, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, The Spokesman-Review reported. The medical examiner also identified two other people killed as Suzanne Larsen, 72, and Rebecca Larsen, 45. A family obituary identified them as Larsen’s mother and sister, according to the newspaper.
"It was a very tragic day in Spokane County," Sheriff John Nowels told reporters, according to the outlet. "A lot of families have been affected."
Acheson and Perry served in the same Washington Army National Guard infantry battalion, the sheriff's office shared. Acheson enlisted in 2011, rose to sergeant and served in Poland from 2021 to 2022, earning three Army Commendation Medals during his military service. He spent eight years as a Washington State Patrol trooper and firearms instructor before joining the sheriff’s office in 2022. As a SWAT sniper, he watched over teammates as they went into dangerous scenes.
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"In the face of danger, he stepped forward to preserve life," the sheriff’s office said of Acheson.
Perry joined the sheriff’s office in 2020 and spent three years on its SWAT team before becoming a K-9 deputy in 2025. He joined the Guard in 2017, rose to captain as a military intelligence officer and earned two Army Commendation Medals. When the call came in near Spangle, he responded "on his own, without prompting," the sheriff’s office said.
FBI Director Kash Patel honored each deputy in a separate post on X, listing Nov. 4 as Acheson’s end of watch and Nov. 7 as Perry’s.
Patel noted that both men were military veterans and pledged the bureau’s support to their families, friends and colleagues. "They will have our full support," he wrote in both posts.
The FBI also issued separate tributes to Acheson and Perry.
Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., said he knew Acheson and his wife from a CrossFit gym and that she was his children’s first piano teacher. "Just wonderful people," he wrote in one tribute.
In another post, Baumgartner asked people to keep both families in their prayers and said the deputies "both died protecting our community."
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson ordered flags at state facilities lowered to half-staff Monday, Nov. 9, in the deputies’ honor.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said the Sheriff Community Oriented Policing Effort is accepting donations to help cover the deputies’ funeral expenses, with any remaining funds going to their families. The sheriff’s office said it was "grateful and honored by the outpouring of heartfelt condolences and prayers."
"The families have requested privacy as they suffer this enormous loss," the sheriff’s office said.