Man suspected of exchanging gunfire with Othello officer caught

OTHELLO — U.S. Marshals on Thursday found a man who is suspected of firing shots Wednesday near the 800 block of Larch Street after being confronted by an Othello police officer, according to law enforcement officials.

The suspect, Aaron Urbina, 32, was reportedly located in the Tri-Cities area Thursday evening.

The Othello officer had contacted an individual, believed to be Urbina, in an alley around 10:30 p.m., Wednesday, according to a press release by the Othello Police Department. Soon after, the officer radioed in that he believed the individual was armed and radioed again saying that shots had been fired and that a gun had been spotted on the suspect.

The suspect then fled the scene, according to the press release. The officer was not injured. It was not immediately clear whether the suspect had been shot.

Because the officer discharged his firearm during the incident, the Central Basin Investigative Team, an independent investigative body serving Grant County and the surrounding region, is conducting a review of the incident as is required by state law during any use of force.

Per policy, the responding officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of CBIT’s investigation, according to the press release. The name of the officer under investigation was not released.