By Police1 Staff
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A couple stalked and tried to instigate a confrontation with a sheriff’s deputy by following him around while he was on patrol, KXLY reported.
The incident occurred in the early morning of Sept. 10, Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich told the publication. The man and the woman tailed Deputy John McQuitty while he was on patrol. McQuitty tried to lose them with a series of turns. When he realized they weren’t going to stop, he radioed for backup.
“When you start having people, basically hunting it seems like, deputies, following them around and it’s not just slightly, they purposely and methodically followed the deputy,” Knezovich said to KXLY.
Backup was able to stop and identify the individuals. The man and woman told the deputy they were well within their rights to follow the officer on a public street.
“It’s not illegal to follow a deputy, but sure isn’t wise,” Knezovich said to the news site. “We are actually seeing officers and deputies executed and somebody thinks it’s funny now to get right behind them and follow them?”
In light of recent ambush killings, deputies are on higher alert, Knezovich said to the publication. McQuitty has been praised for his calm reaction to the incident.