SPOKANE — A Washington State University police officer fired his gun at a student inside a campus residence hall on Wednesday after reports the student had a knife. The bullet missed.
Police then arrested 20-year-old WSU student John Bazan and took him to the hospital for evaluation.
According to WSU, officers were called to the fourth floor of Global Scholars Hall where it was reported at 11:22 a.m. that a student had a knife.
WSU Police Chief Gary Jenkins could not release specifics of the incident but said officers did not have any information Bazan was threatening other students. Bazan was a resident of Global Scholars.
WSU Police said Bazan was taken into custody for obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor. He remained in the hospital late Wednesday afternoon.
One officer fired one bullet, Jenkins said. That bullet went into a wall in the hallway.
WSU students and staff were alerted to the incident via an alert system and asked to stay clear.
A regional independent investigation team, led by the Washington State Patrol, will investigate the shooting, including the officer’s actions.
The officer who fired the weapon was placed on administrative leave, per protocol.
The officer’s identity will be released by WSU Police on a later date.
The university said the building was not evacuated, and students who live in the hallway where the shooting occurred were expected to be able to return to their rooms Wednesday night.
“We fully expect that all the students that live on that hallway will be able to be in their own rooms and in their own beds tonight,” said Phil Weiler, a WSU spokesman.
The chancellor’s office sent a message to the WSU community with resources for those impacted by the incident Wednesday afternoon.
The Office of the Dean of Students also had employees on staff to help students Wednesday, Weiler said.
