Police Say Spokane Fatal Fall Was Suicide

SPOKANE — Police have determined the death of a man in a fall from the top floor of the downtown Spokane Parkade was a suicide.

Witnesses reported hearing a loud noise around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Police determined the man fell from the 6th floor of the parking garage, landing on the awning above the Rite-Aid Pharmacy.

Police say evidence at the scene and a check of the man’s background tells them that this was a suicide. They found the victim’s car parked on the sixth floor of the parking structure, the highest level on the Parkade. Besides his car detectives found one shoe print.

They also determined it was a suicide because the man would have had to step over a girder and safety cables in order to jump from the building.

Witnesses in nearby buildings did not see the victim leave the edge but report his position in the air was very stable like someone who had jumped off a diving board not someone who had lost their balance.

Finally a look into this man’s personal life shows he had been unemployed for the past year and for all those reasons detectives believe this was a suicide.

Because it was a suicide, the person’s identity will not be revealed.

Given the damage to this skywalk investigators feel fortunate that this gentleman did not hurt someone else on the busy street below as he took his own life.