Officer injured following chase, fight with suspects

Spokane police officers said they were led on a chase while trying to pull over a stolen car Friday morning. When the officers caught up to the people inside the car, a fight broke out, sending one officer to a local hospital.

Police officers noticed a car was driving erratically in Downtown Spokane just after midnight Friday. When officers ran the license plate of the car, it came back as stolen, said police.

Police tried to pull the driver, Casey Gillette, 29, over, but he led them on a chase. Officers performed a PIT maneuver at Maple Street and Fairview Avenue in North Spokane, causing the car to crash and come to a stop.

Police said Gillette and his passenger, Naomi Stearns, 28, took off running from the crash, leading police on a foot pursuit. When officers caught up, Gillette started fighting them. One officer was injured in the fight and was sent to a local hospital with a broken collar bone.

Gillette and Stearns were both arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle. Gillette was also arrested for attempting to elude. Officers said both people were known to police.

Gillette was transported to a hospital for a rib injury.

Maple Street was closed in the area for about an hour as police investigated.