Alleged assault on officer, paramedic lands man in jail
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month, 1 week AGO
A Moses Lake Police officer takes 34-year-old Jared Hunter into custody following an alleged assault on an officer.
COURTESY PHOTO/MOSES LAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | July 16, 2026 1:05 AM
MOSES LAKE — A man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly assaulted a paramedic and a Moses Lake Police Officer, according to a statement from the MLPD.
Jared Blake Hunter, 34, was booked into Grant County Jail on charges of third-degree assault – law enforcement officer, according to Grant County Jail records.
A little before 9 p.m., officers responded to a call from a medical crew at a residence on Peninsula Drive, according to the MLPD statement. The paramedics had been dispatched to the residence to check out a man, identified as Hunter, reportedly lying down in a driveway. Hunter was extremely intoxicated and had become aggressive toward the paramedics, the MLPD wrote.
Hunter continued his belligerence when officers arrived, telling one “You ‘re not big enough, boss,” according to the statement. He then pushed away a female and lunged toward a paramedic, attempting to assault him. While officers were securing Hunter, he elbowed one of them. Neither the officer nor Hunter was injured, according to the report.
Hunter was taken to Samaritan Hospital for evaluation before being booked into the Grant County Jail on charges of assault 3rd degree. He was released Wednesday, according to jail records.
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
‘I have been incredibly blessed’
BBCC Foundation Director LeAnne Parton steps down after 14 years
MOSES LAKE — When LeAnne Parton steps down as executive director of the Big Bend Community College Foundation at the end of August, she’ll do it with her head held high. “Serving as Executive Director of the BBCC Foundation has been one of the greatest honors of my professional life,” Parton wrote in an announcement from the college. “I have had the privilege of working alongside incredible faculty, staff, board members, volunteers, community partners, and generous donors who all share a common belief – that education has the power to change lives. Every scholarship awarded represents a student whose future has been forever impacted, and I am incredibly grateful to have played a small part in that journey."
Sip & Stroll to offer greater variety of sips
MOSES LAKE — Sip & Stroll, the Downtown Moses Lake’s annual celebration of wine and local business, is expanding its horizon this year. “In years past, Sip & Stroll has been mainly wine,” DMLA Executive Director Mallory Miller said. “This year we decided to include beer (plus cider and spirits). It’s like a taste of everything. We wanted it to feel like an event everybody could attend.” The idea behind Sip & Stroll is the same as in years past: patrons browse through 17 downtown businesses, each of which has at least one winery – or, this year, a brewery, cidery or distillery – offering tastes of their wares. There are also nonalcoholic drink options at each stop.
Fire weather watch in effect Saturday
MOSES LAKE — The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for much of eastern Washington, including Grant and Adams counties, for Saturday afternoon and evening.