Spokane, Wash. – After a court filing revealed text messages between officers involved in the September shooting of 17‑year‑old Nicholas Musselman, Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall answered questions about how his department is working to lower use‑of‑force incidents and ensure officers return to duty only when fully prepared.
Use‑of‑force numbers show double‑digit decline
Hall reported that the department’s total use‑of‑force incidents fell by 24.5% in 2025 compared with 2024, and are down another 33% year‑to‑date in 2026 versus 2025. Officer‑involved shootings have also decreased, with two incidents recorded in 2025 and two so far in 2026, down from six in 2024.
Training and de‑escalation at the core
The department has adopted ICAT (Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics) training, a program developed by the Police Executive Research Forum to reduce force in behavioral‑health crises and situations where individuals are not armed with a gun. Academic evaluations of ICAT show reductions in officer injuries, citizen injuries and overall force usage.
Spokane officers also receive procedural‑justice instruction, ABLE (Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement) training, and Crisis Intervention Training. These programs emphasize respectful, courteous interaction and give supervisors clear expectations for officer conduct.
Wellness checks before returning to duty
When an officer is placed on leave after a deadly‑force incident, Hall said the officer must be interviewed by criminal investigators, meet with a behavioral‑health clinician at least once, and spend time at the academy—typically a day—before returning to patrol. The department uses a checklist, overseen by the Wellness Sergeant, to confirm the officer is at “100%” physically and emotionally before resuming public duties.
Funding from the new sales tax
Hall confirmed that the recently approved sales tax will fund additional training, technology upgrades and strategic changes to call response. The money will support continued investment in de‑escalation, critical‑decision‑making, alternative responses to crisis calls, and officer wellness initiatives.
Family’s perspective
Attorney Rondi Thorp, representing the Musselman family, called the newly released text messages “heartbreaking” and said the investigation had been “inappropriate, not proper, and not thorough.” She urged the prosecutor to keep the case open for further review.
Chief Hall’s philosophy
“The underlying philosophy is that the officer has to be at 100% in order to give 100% to the community when they come back,” Hall said. He added that the department plans to codify the wellness checklist into formal policy based on community feedback.
Spokane residents can follow the ongoing investigation through the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office and stay informed about department reforms via the Spokane Police Department’s public‑information channels.
Original reporting: KHQ Spokane (news) — read the source article.
