Deputy recovering at Harborview

Hunter arrested in shooting

EPHRATA - An off-duty Grant County deputy who was shot and seriously injured Thursday while coyote hunting near Soap Lake is receiving an outpouring of support while recovering in a Seattle hospital.

A special room was set up at Harborview Medical Center to accommodate the flood of well-wishers who arrived to visit Deputy Earl Romig, according to the hospital-sponsored patient information Web site.

Supporters made up of his family, colleagues and friends added their well wishes by blogging three pages of encouraging messages on the site. His family also thanked everyone for their support.

Romig, 26, remained in serious condition Sunday morning at Harborview, three days after he was shot once in the back with a 30-06 hunting rifle.

When he left Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake after emergency surgery, his prognosis was a paralyzed right leg and internal wounds, according to the Web site.

At Harborview, he was evaluated by a spinal trauma surgeon "who is considered one of the best in the world and has extensive experience with treating bullet wounds of our soldiers in Iraq," according to the Web site.

The man believed to have shot Romig is Robbie Joe Marcher, 38, of Moses Lake, according to Grant County Chief Deputy John Turley.

Marcher was later arrested on suspicion of felony assault and taken to the Grant County Jail. He was expected to appear today in Grant County Superior Court.

The Washington State Patrol is investigating the shooting and it's not known if it was accidental, Turley said. The patrol is handling the case to avoid the perception of conflict of interest.

Romig, who was wearing hunting clothing, fired his rifle into the air to call for help after he felt a burning sensation on his right side.

A hiker found Romig and used a cellphone to call 911. The hiker reportedly told deputies he saw a white Chevrolet or GMC extended cab pickup leaving the scene after he heard three shots and before finding Romig.

Deputies, state patrol troopers, and state Department of Fish and Wildlife officers spoke to permit-holders allowed to hunt deer in the area.

Marcher and his father, Carl Marcher, 66, also of Moses Lake, and the pickup the hiker reportedly saw leaving the scene, were later spoken to by officers on Road H.1 N.E., about six miles northeast of Moses Lake. The address was on the list of permit holders.

Robbie Jo Marcher reportedly told detectives he fired one round at what he believed was a coyote and didn't return to see if he had hit something. Carl Marcher reportedly told detectives they were in the same area as Romig about the same time.

Turley said he didn't know how many other people were hunting in the vicinity of the accident.

A nitrate-sniffing canine from the Grand Coulee Police Department and detectives using metal detectors searched the area for evidence.

Romig started working for the sheriff's office on a full-time basis in 2006.

He was described as an "outstanding reserve deputy with the sheriff's office who had assisted in solving metal theft crimes," Turley stated.

Those wanting to help Romig can donate to a support fund at Washington Trust Bank. Donations can be made at any branch.

Updates on Romig's condition can be found online at www.caringbridge.org/visit/earlromig