Domestic Violence Argument Escalates-Male Shoots at Female
Spokane Valley Deputies and Major Crimes Detectives, investigating a domestic violence incident, learned the male suspect fired his handgun into the windshield of the victim’s car. The victim ducked as the suspect fired through the windshield and struck the headrest where the victim’s head had been just before he fired. The suspect was arrested and charged with Assault 1st Degree (DV).
On May 26, 2019, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Spokane Valley Deputies responded to multiple calls reporting a wide array of information from hearing an argument to hearing a gunshot and vehicles speeding away.
Deputies arrived at the location in the area of E. Valleyway and N. Bolivar and secured the scene. They contacted a male, later identified as the suspect 28-year-old Michael A. Briseno, sitting on the porch of a residence.
A witness explained he heard a “commotion” outside and what sounded like a gunshot. When he looked outside, he observed Briseno standing in the middle of Valleyway. Briseno approached the front door of the residence, rang the doorbell, and yelled for help. Briseno said he had shot a car and that he had a gun, which he placed under the doormat on the porch. Briseno put a backpack down and asked for 911 to be called as he sat down where he waited for Deputies to arrive.
Deputies also contacted an adult female, later determined to be the victim, sitting in the driver’s seat of her vehicle, when they arrived. As she was being detained, Deputies observed she was bleeding. She stated she had been shot and medical treatment was provided for several small cuts to both her arms but no significant wounds were located. During a medical assessment of the victim, it was determined the cuts to her arms, superficial and non-life-threatening, were likely caused by the windshield glass shattering when Briseno shot at her.
The victim stated she has been dating Briseno for the last few years and he began to be physically abusive about one year ago. Today, she picked him up after work, and they were driving home. She said Briseno was already in a bad mood and he began yelling at her, screaming in her ear. She pulled over to the side of the Valleyway and got out of the car. When Briseno got out as well, she jumped back in and tried to drive away, but Briseno was able to get back inside. He began grabbing her and twisted her arm, causing her pain. Then, Briseno got out of the vehicle and sat on the hood, making it where she couldn’t leave.
She pulled forward a little and applied the brakes hard, causing Briseno to fall off the hood to the ground. Briseno stood up, faced the vehicle, and drew the pistol he wore on his hip in a holster. The victim said when she saw the gun, she feared for her life and immediately ducked as Briseno fired. She put the car in reverse and backed up at a high rate of speed, stopping down the block.
During an examination of the Victim’s vehicle, deputies observed what appeared to be a bullet hole through the driver’s side of the windshield. They also located what appeared to be fragments of a bullet lodged in the driver’s seat headrest, next to an apparent bullet hole.
Briseno was advised of his rights and declined to make a statement. Although he did make several spontaneous and unsolicited statements to the effect of, the victim tried to run him over and dragged him with the car. He feared for his life and that he wasn’t aiming at the victim; he was aiming for the engine to disable the vehicle.
Major Crime Detectives also responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.
The injuries observed to Briseno were not consistent with being drug or struck by a car nor was there any evidence obtain thought the investigation that would suggest Briseno was in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm.
Briseno was transported and booked into the Spokane County Jail for Assault 1st Degree (DV).
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Corporal Mark Gregory
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office
Spokane Valley Police Department
Public Information Officer