Chelan County Prosecuting Attorney Concludes Investigation in Officer-Involved Shooting at Living Hope Church
Chelan County’s Prosecuting Attorney will not be pressing charges against the officers involved in the officer-involved shooting at the Living Hope Church in Wenatchee last year.
On March 27, Chelan County’s Prosecuting Attorney Robert W. Sealby released his review of the North Central Special Investigation Unit’s (SIU) report on this incident.
NCW Life first reported on Sealby’s findings and published his entire report here.
On May 7, 2022, 36-year-old Alexander J. White was killed in an officer-involved shooting after firing shots at the Living Hope church on the corner of Palouse Street and N Chelan Avenue, Wenatchee.
Before police arrived around 8:30 a.m., White shot at the doors of the Living Hope Church seven times, and was described wearing a white suit with a red tie.
Wenatchee Police Corporal Jeff Ward and Officers Corey Fuller, Aly Mustain, Brian Hewitt, and Stephanie Valencia arrived at the scene and ordered White to drop his semi-automatic pistol.
According to the report, officers said White kept yelling “let’s go,” “let’s do this,” “let’s go guys,” or “woo.” Cpl. Ward claims White was smiling as he reloaded his pistol, and fired in the direction of Officers Mustain and Hewitt.
White fired one shot at Officer Hewitt, shooting him in the leg and was later taken to Central Washington Hospital for his injury.
Mustain fired six shots, Fuller fired five shots, and Hewitt fired 10 shots at White. A total of 21 shots were fired towards White, with three making impact. Valencia and Cpl. Ward did not fire any shots.
Cpl. Ward said after shots were fired, White collapsed and was not moving, did not appear to be breathing, and was bleeding heavily.
After the shootout, officers got the gun away from White, rolled him onto his stomach, and handcuffed his hands behind his back.
White succumbed to his gunshot wounds and died at the scene shortly after medical assistance arrived and delivered aid to him.
Officers said they not only feared for their own safety, but for the safety of the residents attending the Apple Blossom Festival nearby.
Sealby ruled that the officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, that there was no malicious intent behind the officers’ actions, and that the use of deadly force was “performed in good faith.”
Wenatchee Police Department conducted an internal investigation and ruled that Officers Fuller, Mustain and Hewitt did not violate department policies during the shooting.
They were released from paid administrative leave approximately a month after the shooting.
Sealby concluded his findings by giving his sincere condolences to the family and friends of Alexander White.