Murder suspect killed by police had history of mental health issues and officer attacks
The man shot and killed by Pasco police on Sunday had a history of mental health issues and attacking officers.
On Sunday, Gabriel T. Artz, 30, reportedly fatally stabbed a man then came at two policemen with a knife.
Artz had been in and out of jail since he was a juvenile for various crimes including attacking two Benton County corrections officers and threatening family members with a gun, show court records and previous Tri-City Herald stories.
His most recent conviction was in 2018 for second-degree assault. He was sentenced to serve just over a year in a state prison.
Tuesday afternoon, the Regional Special Investigations Unit (SIU) released more information about this week’s stabbing and officer-involved shooting.
Artz’s name was released, along with the names of two officers involved. But the name of the stabbing victim has yet to be made public.
The Pasco man’s identity has been confirmed, but investigators have not been able to contact his family members, said the release from Commander Randy Maynard with the investigations unit.
The man died as a result of the stab wounds he suffered during a fight, said Maynard.
Pasco police officials asked the SIU detectives to investigate both the stabbing and the shooting. The SIU unit is called in to investigate officer-involved shootings in Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties.
Investigators believe Artz had a knife when he got into a fight with the other man near the corner of Sixth Avenue and Lewis Street at 11:40 a.m. Sunday.
It’s not clear what the fight was about, but several people called 911 to report the confrontation.
Officers Jasen McClintock, Jeremy Jones and a third unnamed officer arrived at the scene about the same time. The unnamed officer went to help the stabbing victim, who was still alive but died soon after.
The other two approached Artz and, according to initial reports, he was still carrying a knife, said the news release.
The officers talked to him in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, but he continued to advance toward the officers, said police.
One or both of the officers shot Artz after he “appeared to initiate an attack attempt on the officers,” Maynard said in the release.
The officers immediately provided first aid until Pasco paramedics arrived and took him to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, where he was pronounced dead, said the release.
Both McClintock and Jones have more than a decade of experience with Pasco police. Jones started in 2006 and McClintock in 2008.
Anyone with information about Sunday’s stabbing and shooting is asked to contact Richland Sgt. Damon Jansen at djansen@ci.richland.wa.us or 509-942-7353; Benton County Sheriff’s Sgt. Carlos Trevino at carlos.trevino@co.benton.wa.us or 509-735-6555; or Franklin County Sheriff’s Sgt. Marcus Conner at mconner@co.franklin.wa.us or 509-545-3501.
Artz’s history
Artz, who appears to have grown up in Richland, had a history of burglary, illegal gun possession and assault dating back to 2006, according to court records.
In each case, he was ordered to be evaluated at Eastern State Hospital to see if he was competent to stand trial.
Each time, he was found legally competent.
In 2014 when he was upset about a meal he received at the Benton County jail in Kennewick. He refused to return to his cell and then grabbed Corrections Officer Jessica Bravethunder by the head and slammed her into a wall, according to a Tri-City Herald story at the time.
He also scratched Corrections Officer Jon Munoz on the neck. During the struggle, he armed himself with a pencil and tried to use it against the officers.
Bravethunder needed medical treatment because of the attack.
Artz eventually pleaded guilty to custodial assault and served 10 months in jail.
Another Herald story in 2012 reported he was arrested after he armed himself with a gun and threatened some of his family members. It wasn’t immediately unclear Tuesday if he was charged in that incident.
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 5:00 AM.