Newly filed court records have revealed that a 20-year-old man who was fatally shot by a Spokane Valley sheriff's deputy outside Evergreen Middle School had initiated the emergency response himself by contacting 911 under a fictitious identity. The caller provided dispatchers with real-time updates and physical descriptions that investigators now believe were detailing his own movements and appearance moments before the lethal confrontation took place.
According to search warrant filings submitted in Spokane County Superior Court, emergency communications began at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 8. The caller identified himself to the dispatcher as "Jack N. Saints" and claimed that an individual carrying a firearm was present in the vicinity of the Spokane Valley middle school campus.
During the emergency transmission, the caller maintained active contact with the operator, delivering progressive descriptions of the reported suspect's location and physical characteristics. The caller specifically reported that the individual was armed, noting the presence of a black and silver Glock handgun in the person's hand.
Investigators later established that the identity provided during the call was entirely fabricated and that the caller was actually 20-year-old Joel Malin. Through analysis of the call records and scene evidence, authorities concluded that Malin was methodically relaying descriptions of himself to emergency personnel as law enforcement officers were dispatched to the campus.
The interaction reached a fatal conclusion roughly six minutes after the initial emergency call was placed. At approximately 11:36 a.m., the 911 dispatcher listening on the open phone line could hear the sound of gunshots being discharged in the background. Immediately following the audible gunfire, radio transmissions from Deputy Brian Lawler confirmed that shots had been fired at the scene.
The Spokane County Sheriff's Office subsequently identified the deputy involved in the shooting as Lawler, a 47-year-old veteran who has been with the agency since 2003. Lawler has worked extensively as a school resource deputy across multiple years of service. Following the deadly incident, Lawler was placed on administrative leave, in alignment with standard protocol whenever a deputy employs lethal force.
Surveillance cameras mounted outside Evergreen Middle School, along with other recorded video footage, captured the rapid escalation that led to the shooting. According to investigative records, the footage shows Malin running directly toward Lawler's marked patrol cruiser while the deputy was still seated inside the vehicle.
As Malin approached the patrol car at a run, his right hand was extended, holding an object that strongly resembled a handgun and aiming it directly at Lawler. Court records indicate that this aggressive forward movement and the apparent firearm pointed at the cruiser prompted the deputy to discharge his weapon from within the vehicle.
Subsequent examination of the scene by investigators determined that the item Malin carried was not an operable firearm, but rather a realistic replica of a handgun. The imitation weapon closely mirrored the characteristics described in the initial emergency phone call, presenting the appearance of an authentic threat to the responding officer.
The Spokane Police Department has assumed responsibility for the independent investigation into the deputy-involved fatality. As part of the ongoing inquiry, Spokane Police Detective David Eckersley filed an application with the court seeking authorization to search the mobile phone Malin used during the encounter. The search warrant was officially approved by Spokane County Superior Court Commissioner Tami Chavez.
In the aftermath of the incident, legal representation for Malin's family voiced deep grief and raised questions regarding law enforcement's handling of the encounter. Attorney Rondi Thorp stated that Malin had no intention of discharging a weapon and expressed a desire for responding officers to slow down their assessments and carefully evaluate unfolding circumstances before rushing into high-stakes confrontations.
Thorp emphasized Malin's personal background, explaining that the 20-year-old was diagnosed with autism and had previously attended Evergreen Middle School. Because of his past experiences there, the campus was an environment where he had long felt comfortable and secure, according to his family.
Malin's mother described her son as a gentle, affectionate person, calling him a "big, soft teddy bear" who she firmly believed would never intentionally cause harm to anyone. Family accounts indicate that Malin had departed from his residence, located close to the middle school, around 10:45 a.m. that morning with the ordinary intention of purchasing breakfast.
The ongoing inquiry by the Spokane Police Department aims to reconstruct the full sequence of events surrounding the 911 transmission and the subsequent confrontation outside the school. While Deputy Lawler remains on standard administrative leave, the case continues to highlight the complex challenges law enforcement faces when confronting rapid, deceptive emergency calls and realistic replica weapons in public spaces.
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