Prosecutor Gives Sheriff’s Sergeant A Pass

SPOKANE – He was booked for obstructing justice and resisting arrest in an altercation with Spokane Police last month, but now prosecutors say Spokane County Sheriff’s Sergeant Pete Bunch won’t face any criminal charges.

Pete Bunch was booked for obstructing officers and resisting arrest not far from his South Hill home on February 6th. City prosecutors don’t want to take this case to court and it’s hard to determine why as there are a number of witnesses to the incident where Bunch fought with officers and was almost tazered.

As for the homeowner who called 9-1-1 when she saw Bunch sneaking around her yard thinks bunch is getting the benefit of a double standard.

“Actually I’m very upset about it,” the woman, requested to remain anonymous, said. “I don’t get to go around doing things like that and he shouldn’t either.”

She said that she called Spokane Police when she spotted a strange man walking between the homes in her South Hill neighborhood. Arriving officers contacted the suspected prowler but the man, who would only say he was looking for a lost dog, refused to cooperate with them and the fight was on.

“There was a point the officer felt he couldn’t control the situation and needed to bring his tazer out to effect the arrest it was at that point that other off arrived and they were able to take him into custody,” Spokane Police spokesperson Jennifer DeRuwe said.

Once officers were able to search the man they found his wallet and identified him as Sgt. Pete Bunch of the sheriff’s office. Bunch was placed in custody; when Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich learned of his arrest Bunch was put behind a desk until the investigation was completed.

However a spokesperson for the city prosecutor’s office says now that given the totality of the situation and Bunch’s lack of criminal history, the prosecutor has used his discretion not to take the case to trial.

While he may have been spared from trial in this situation this is but the latest in a line of disciplinary incidents the 32-year veteran has been involved in.

Bunch was busted down from lieutenant down to sergeant and was the focus of an internal affairs investigation for resisting the orders of an on-duty Liberty Lake Police Officer.