Woman sues deputies for fatally shooting her brother in Deer Park standoff

The sister of a 43-year-old man who was shot and killed during a standoff says Spokane County Sheriff's Office deputies escalated the encounter and didn't treat her brother's wounds until 20 minutes after the shooting.

Dawn Hegel, through Spokane firm Meyer Thorp Attorneys at Law, filed a complaint for damages March 27 in Spokane County Superior Court against the county and the three deputies who fired at Donald Hegel two years ago at his home near Deer Park when they attempted to arrest him on child rape and molestation charges.

"The officers' actions were egregious, excessive, unreasonable, and well outside the standards that police officers must follow when interacting with citizens of Spokane County," the complaint says.

The Spokane County Prosecutor's Office declined to charge Detective Travis West and deputies Josiah Loos and Samuel Turner in the shooting. The trio were "justified in their application of lethal force" against Donald Hegel after he pointed a replica handgun at SWAT team members during an hourslong standoff with law enforcement, according to a Spokane County news release months after the shooting.

The complaint contends the sheriff's office "shot a man who was not a threat to any of the on-scene officers."

David Turplesmith, an attorney with Meyer Thorp Attorneys at Law, said he didn't find anything in law enforcement's investigation to indicate that Donald Hegel pulled a gun on deputies or even had one at the time. He admitted he has not seen deputies' body camera footage of the shooting despite asking for them through public records requests. He said it's common not to receive all investigative reports and footage until a lawsuit is filed.

"As is common with law enforcement, the release of the images is slow, and it's only gotten worse as time has gone on," Turplesmith said.

Cpl. Mark Gregory, sheriff's office spokesman, and county spokeswoman Martha Lou Wheatley-Billeter declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing pending litigation.

On March 29, 2024, the Stevens County Sheriff's Office tried to serve Donald Hegel with an arrest warrant at his home on North Monroe Road accusing him of child rape and child molestation, the county release said. Deputies encountered Donald Hegel in the front porch area of the home and informed him he was under arrest for the warrant.

Donald Hegel came outside and stood on the porch, but refused to show both of his hands, the county said. He told deputies he had a gun and stated several times for the deputies to "just shoot me."

Spokane County sheriff's detectives and deputies were called to the scene and eventually took control of the event. SWAT members also arrived, according to the release.

Law enforcement used several techniques, tactics and less-lethal munitions to try to coax Donald Hegel to surrender. A crisis negotiator also repeatedly encouraged him to surrender.

He was repeatedly warned that force would be used, the release said. He refused to obey commands and show his hands, keeping one behind his back. Donald Hegel told the deputies to "shoot him" before going back inside the home.

SWAT members eventually breached the front door and located Donald Hegel in a small lean-to attached to the side of the home.

He pointed what appeared to be a handgun at SWAT members and refused to drop it and show his hands, the county said. Three deputies fired at him, and he died at the scene.

Toxicology testing showed alcohol and methamphetamine in Donald Hegel's system at the time of his death.

The lawsuit alleges the county failed to properly train deputies on use of force, calling the deputies' actions negligent and "tortuous." The deputies also didn't provide sufficient time and techniques to negotiate with Hegel and resolve the situation peacefully, the complaint says.

"The officer certainly had the ability to wait and to continue to negotiate with him, and there really isn't any justification for elevating the incident to the use of deadly force when there was no provocation or anything," Turplesmith said.

The complaint says the sheriff's office deployed pepper spray and flash bang devices into Hegel's home before deputies eventually broke in, all techniques that Turplesmith deemed excessive.

"The law is that officers should use all means necessary to avoid the escalation to the use of deadly force, and that wasn't accomplished here," he said.

West fired about seven rounds from his rifle at Donald Hegel, while Loos shot about two rounds from his pistol. Turner and Loos then each threw a flash bang at Donald Hegel, according to the complaint.

The complaint says the deputies did not quickly provide medical care and "watched" Donald Hegel die.

After they shot him, deputies yelled commands at Donald Hegel to show his hands and surrender, but he did not respond. Law enforcement then fired a nonlethal round at his leg and inserted a drone and a police dog into the home, but Donald Hegel did not react to the dog dragging him by the leg, according to the complaint.

Deputies noticed Donald Hegel was shot in the neck and a significant amount of blood around him. He appeared alive but was struggling to breathe, the complaint says.

Deputies removed him from the home, and they first treated him 20 minutes after the shooting, according to the suit. Medical staff started treating him almost 40 minutes after the shooting, and they reported he died almost an hour after shots were fired.

"He experienced unthinkable pain, suffering, and fear for the imminent loss of his life while no one came to his aid after shooting him," the complaint says.

Dawn Hegel was close with her brother, spending holidays and special occasions together. She continues to suffer "serious emotional harm" from her brother's death, according to the complaint.

This wasn't Donald Hegel's first standoff, nor Turner and Loos' first shooting.

Donald Hegel was arrested in 2019 after a standoff with law enforcement in Spokane Valley. He was wanted on Stevens County child rape and molestation charges in both standoffs, though it wasn't clear whether the same alleged incident spurred both.

The shooting of Donald Hegel was Loos' second shooting at the sheriff's office. Loos and another deputy were deemed justified by the Spokane County Prosecutor's Office in shooting and killing 38-year-old Colin Osborn in 2019 at a Spokane Valley business park.

Turner used lethal force in 2018 when he shot and killed 54-year-old suspected kidnapper Richard Bahr after prosecutors say Bahr rammed Turner's patrol car. The prosecutor's office said that shooting also was justified.

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 11:44 PM.