RSSI-82 shooting suspect likely pepper sprayed
Yakima Herald-Republic
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- Whoever fatally shot a Montana woman during an incident last week on Interstate 82 may have taken a face full of pepper spray, detectives say.
Sheryl Huntley's common-law husband says he discharged a canister of pepper spray at the man, who was sitting in the back seat of the couple's Dodge Neon, detectives said.
The incident happened early July 1, when Stephen Harwood said a hitchhiker robbed him and Huntley.
Yakima County Sheriff's Chief of Detectives Stew Graham disclosed the information about the pepper spray in hopes that someone might have encountered the suspect while he was suffering from the irritant.
The initial release of Harwood's detailed description of the suspect has not prompted any major tips, Graham said.
He described the hitchhiker as Hispanic, probably around 20, about 5 feet, 6 inches and skinny. His head was shaved, with a longer bit of hair across the forehead, a scar over his left eye and a "sharp" jaw line. His nose may have been broken in the past. He was wearing a red bandanna, white T-shirt, navy blue Dickies pants and two diamond stud earrings.
Harwood told detectives he may have discharged as much as the entire can of pepper spray at the man. Evidence of pepper spray was found in the car, Graham said.
Harwood says they picked up the hitchhiker south of the Selah Creek rest area, north of Selah.
Although details are unclear, Harwood said he struggled with the man after the robbery, and several shots were fired by the hitchhiker. Huntley was shot in the head; Harwood suffered a gunshot to the hand.
After Harwood stopped the car, the man fled in an unknown direction.
Harwood said he entered Yakima on North First Street and began driving erratically to attract police attention because he was not sure where to find a hospital.
After turning around in Union Gap, he flagged down another motorist who agreed to lead him toward Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac Center. That person called police, who stopped Harwood at First and Walnut Avenue.
Huntley, a 40-year-old former Yakima resident, died that afternoon after being taken off life support at Yakima Regional.
The couple had been headed to Yakima from Thompson Falls, Mont. -- nearly three hours east of Spokane -- to pick up a relative and return with her to Montana, Graham said.
Despite the rarity of random homicides in Yakima County, detectives say they have not encountered inconsistencies in Harwood's account.
Investigators are waiting for reports from state evidence technicians who examined the car, Graham said.
* Mark Morey can be reached at 509-577-7671 or mmorey@yakimaherald.com.
(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)
Ah here we go...we are going to blame the whole Mexican community, aren't we Nick? Every race has its bad ones and you know it so before you climb up on your soap box about the Mexicans remember..the whites ones are just as bad...Have a great day!
Report ViolationThis whole story doesn't add up. Alot doesn't make sense and i don't buy any of it. Let's just wait and see what happens next.
Report ViolationSHERYL'S LIFE SHOULDN'T HAVE ENDED LIKE THIS...I'M SHERYL'S BF FOR OVER 10 YRS. WHEN I RECEIVED THAT CALL @ 4:00AM, I WAS NUMB AND STILL AM. 99% BELIEVE STEVEN WAS INVOLVED, I WAS GIVING STEVEN "BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT" CUZ I CAN'T IMAGINE HIM DOING THIS. WE ALL NEED CLOSURE TO REALLY GRIEVE. WHEN THE REPORTS COME BACK, I HOPE AND PRAY STEVEN WASN'T INVOLVED....BUT, 1 THING IS REALLY EATING @ ME.."WHY DID HE LEAVE WITHOUT KNOWING OR FINDING THIS HITCHHIKER?" IF MY SPOUSE AND I WENT THROUGH THIS KIND OF HELL TOGETHER...I WOULDN'T STEP OUT OF THE TOWN UNTIL SOME KIND OF JUSTICE WAS SERVED..HE DOESN'T WORK, WHY SUCH A URGENCY TO GO HOME!!! HOPE DETECTIVES ARE AS FRUSTRATED AS WE ARE TO SOLVING THIS HORRIBLE NIGHTMARE...SHERYL ISN'T RESTING IN PEACE...SHE'S SCREAMING AT US WITH ALL THE ANSWERS!!!!!
Report ViolationI'll give stephen the benfit of the doubt. but when your talking about a gang member, the description does not make sense to me. a hard core gangster that wears red bandana will not buy a pair of blue dickies. As we all know blue and red dont get along, so thats very iffy to me, that whole description is to perfect. if i were a cop that would have been a red flag for me, gangster will not wear other gangs colors "His head was shaved, with a longer bit of hair across the forehead, a scar over his left eye and a "sharp" jaw line. His nose may have been broken in the past. He was wearing a red bandanna, white T-shirt, navy blue Dickies pants and two diamond stud earrings" to perfect of a description for something that happened very early in the morning.
Report ViolationThere's a chemical dependency treatment facility (Sundown Ranch) within a couple miles of that rest stop. Maybe the suspect is linked to one of the patients there. It's a long shot.
Report ViolationI am not going to give stephen the benefet of the doubt. I truely believe he killed Sheryl. I know that he has abused her in the passed and why she never left him is beyond me. I loved Sheryl and will miss her and she is screaming at us with the truth that is the kind of person she was. His story doesn't add up there are to many holes there and the YPD needs to open their eyes and get the evidence. How many rounds were fired? if there was a struggle there would be damage to the car. He sure left in a hurry with no job to go to he must be running from something.Sheryl wasn't stupid enough to pic up a hich hicker she would have refused. He gave a description of over half of Yakima residents and everyone knows Yakima has a rep for gang related violence. Not all hispanic people are bad and has the urge to kill white people for money. Hey Yakima PD look at the facts!!!
Report ViolationYou know there is alot of sick people in the world and to say some of the things you do tells me why this world is the way it is.. he didnt just pick him up the guy was in the road flagging him down and he had to swerve to not hit him.. he should of went on and called cops but he thought he needed help who wouldnt... he asked for a ride and so he said we are going that way hop in,, never suspecting anything wrong.. who cares what he wore or that mexicans dont hitchhike sorry where im from ive seen many.. and i wouldnt believe he could do anything like this either.. they have had many fights at times as many couple do and she was very mean at times to... he leared to walk away and let her cool off. where was he going to stay with relatives sure but for how long??? dosent seem to be coming along fast enough.. was her family going to take him in to till they found the guy??? i know for a fact he loved her and her boys and maybe getting them out of town will help them .. They wanted to leave and go back to a normal life however much now.. but was more peaceful and lots of friends.. this is only hear say but heared her family was drug addicts and the boys just wanted to go to where they knew was home.. and he does work keeping up the grounds at a club.. and he is still distressed over all this.. he always had her nephews and family around he was going to get the niece.. he always had them come to visit and im sure they enjoyed every minute.... and the comment about sheryl wouldnt pick up a hitchhiker sorry to tell you she did and many times which i told them not to do.....but in the daytime..which dosent matter anything can still happen sheryl was a beautiful person and loved her to pieces .. she was fun to be around and was a good mother.. she loved stephen to and they were doing so much better where they were.. so i will never believe he would ever do anything like this.. rip sheryl and wish you could lead us to this evil person... if shes screaming it to keep looking getting a picture of what he looks like whatever and to let her sons and stephen get on with thier lives to..
Report ViolationI think stephens story is made up.How could anyone remember everything to such detail the clothes he was wearing the scar. My husband and I go to work at 3:45 am And i can't see him that clearly. So how can stephen describe this guy. Also the guy he is talking about must be a gang member so why would he be wearing blue pants and a red bandana,these guys only wear one of the two colors not both.
Report ViolationThe guy got in and im sure the car light came on and if they were in an area with lights maybe that helped. some people look a little closer at someone when they have had problems before who knows. and facts arent out about it being a gang member maybe someone looking for money.. if they dont know who did it they cant say it was a gang member either.. and my god his pants might of been black if its so dark out! everyone is ready to pin it on the husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend.. try to just hope they find the guy before someone else looses a loved one.. when more facts come in they get the guilty one hope to god you all feel ashamed of thinking the worst....
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