Spokane County Sheriff's Department, Washington
End of Watch: Friday, August 29, 2003
Age: 41
Tour of Duty: 2 years, 6 months
Badge Number: 591186
Cause of Death: Automobile crash
Date of Incident: August 29, 2003
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Deputy Sheriff James Slater was killed in an automobile crash while en route to back up a fellow officer who was following a stolen vehicle at 2:27 a.m.
A citizen called 911 and reported a patrol vehicle in the ditch and the deputy unconscious on Sout Grove Road. It is believed that Deputy Slater started sliding on a corner and overcorrected, causing him to hit a utility pole that flipped the patrol car four times.
Deputy Slater was flown to Sacred Heart Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries at approximately 10:30 p.m.
Deputy Slater was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Spokane County Sheriff's Department for 2.5 years. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.