“I’d rather see the gunman caught”: Local helps police track man accused of murder and carjacking spree in Spokane and Kootenai Counties

One Good Samaritan made a split-second decision to pursue a deadly carjacking suspect through two counties Sunday morning, choosing to help police track the gunman.

Rob Dodd witnessed 43-year-old Ryan Tietsort shoot and kill Gary Hill during a violent carjacking spree in Stateline Village. As chaos erupted around the shooting scene, Dodd saw an opportunity to prevent Tietsort’s escape.

“I thought to myself, I may as well try to save a manhunt,” Dodd said.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office identified Hill as the victim who was shot and killed by Tietsort. Hill’s family said he was helping a woman who was targeted in one of Tietsort’s attempted carjackings when he was fatally shot.

Dodd described the moment Tietsort killed Hill: “He just ‘pop pop’ shot him twice in the chest from about 20ft away.”

Faced with a critical decision, Dodd chose to follow the gunman rather than assist the wounded victim.

“Everybody’s always worried about the injured and the deceased and not really caring about where the gunman’s going. And I thought to myself, ‘I’d rather see the gunman caught,'” Dodd said.

Law enforcement officials said after the shooting, Tietsort stole another car at gunpoint and fled into Spokane County. Dodd, pulling a 14-foot trailer with his Nissan Pathfinder, tracked Tietsort into Otis Orchards while on the phone with 911 dispatchers.

“This guy is going to disappear into Spokane,” Dodd said.

During the chase, Dodd provided real-time updates to authorities about Tietsort’s location and direction of travel. He said Tietsort was not speeding.

“He wasn’t driving real erratically or anything. He was not trying to be noticeable,” Dodd said.

The pursuit took a dangerous turn when Tietsort approached another vehicle. Dodd heard gunshots.

“I assumed he was firing at me, so I kept my distance,” Dodd said.

Deputies confirmed Tietsort stole another car at gunpoint in East Valley, abandoning the car he had taken from Stateline Village. Dodd continued tracking Tietsort until police caught up to the stolen car.

The carjacking spree began Sunday morning and involved multiple attempted and successful carjackings in Spokane and Kootenai Counties. Tietsort was ultimately killed by police.

The investigation into the motive for the crimes remains ongoing.