Ephrata man dies after police stand-off
Ephrata police stand outside a home where Craig Dempsey, 22, of Ephrata, reportedly died after stabbing himself.
EPHRATA - The Ephrata man who died of an apparent self-inflicted stab wound to the chest following a confrontation with police Friday was identified as 22-year-old Craig Dempsey, according to the Grant County Coroner's Office.
Dempsey was found dead in a bedroom at a home on Second Avenue Northwest in Ephrata after he was contacted by police for a possible verbal domestic dispute. Dempsey's girlfriend and baby were reportedly outside the home when police arrived about 2 p.m.
Ephrata Police Chief Mike Warren said Dempsey was inside the home with a knife. Dempsey then barricaded himself inside a bedroom before police entered the home. He was found stabbed in the chest inside the room.
He was taken to Columbia Basin Hospital in Ephrata where he was pronounced dead. Neighbors told the Columbia Basin Herald Dempsey and the woman moved into the Ephrata home just a few months ago.
Details on Friday's confrontation with police have not been released. The Columbia Basin Investigation Team, an inter-agency team that investigates officer-involved shootings and major use of force incidents, was on scene for several hours Friday.
Dempsey, a Level 2 sex offender who served three years in prison after a 2007 conviction of second-degree rape and second-degree child molestation, has a history of violence. In 2012, Dempsey, formerly of Wenatchee, pleaded guilty to felony harassment and fourth-degree assault and was sentenced to 12 months in jail. Dempsey was again arrested in May of this year for fourth-degree domestic violence assault for allegedly throwing a rock at a woman at his Ephrata home, according to Ephrata police records.