Officers, deceased identified in Quincy officer-involved shooting
R. HANS MILLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 11 months AGO
A Quincy Police car makes a tight turn on the slalom portion of a high-speed driving course during the training event at the Ephrata airport in early 2022. Officers train to focus on public and officer safety regularly and follow strict guidelines for use of force. Investigations after such uses of force are conducted by a regional team with participation from civilians to ensure the inquiries are conducted properly.
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Managing Editor Rob Miller is a 4-year U.S. Army veteran who grew up in Western Montana in a community about the size of Soap Lake. An honors graduate of Texas State University, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Brandee, and their three dogs, Draco, Pepper and Cinnamon. He has one son, William. During his free time, he enjoys photography, video games, reading and working on the house he and his wife bought in Ephrata. He is passionate about the First Amendment and educating communities. | January 11, 2024 5:40 PM
QUINCY — The names of those involved in a Monday incident that lead to one Quincy Police Department officer being stabbed twice and the death of a man have been released by investigators with the Central Basin Investigative Team.
According to an announcement from CBIT, Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison identified Jose A. Rico-Flores, 24, of Quincy as the man who died during the incident.
Officers Michael Kvavle and Kyle Talley of QPD were the officers involved in the incident. A statement from CBIT did not indicate which had been wounded in the incident.
Kvavle has been with QPD since 2017 and is assigned to the patrol division. He is a firearms instructor for handguns and rifles and is a Moses Lake Regional Tactical Response Team member.
Talley has been with QPD since 2019 and is also a part of the patrol division. He is a department defense tactics and jiu-jitsu instructor as well.
According to prior releases, Kvavle and Talley responded to a report of a man wielding a knife at the Jackpot Food Mart in Quincy. Upon arrival, they approached the suspect, now identified as Rico-Flores, who then reportedly stabbed one of the two officers twice – once in the arm and once in the shoulder – prompting the officers to draw their weapons and fire at him. Rico-Flores was pronounced dead at the scene.
Information related to officer-involved shootings is released carefully and procedurally under Washington state law, with members of the family of anyone wounded or killed in the shooting being notified prior to the general public receiving information.
Quincy Police Chief Brian Green said in a Wednesday phone call that he appreciated the community’s support for the officers involved in Monday’s incident and that the best way to support the officers would be to allow them time to grieve and heal after a difficult experience.
Both officers are on administrative leave as the investigation moves forward and the one officer’s wounds associated with the incident heal.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: In appreciation of educators ...
An experience I recently had with a school district, quite honestly, has left me gob-smacked a bit. I am in awe of the teachers and administrators at school districts throughout the region and what they have to deal with. Let me get back to the beginning, though. Journalists often cover a wide variety of topics and are constantly looking for ideas for stories that will matter to readers. As such, when we hear of events of interest, we sometimes ask to attend so we can either cover it, or, as in this case, learn how to cover a topic better.