SPOKANE — The Spokane Police Department has identified Officer Britton Ballard as the officer who shot and killed Kaleb J. Hassel, 28, during a domestic violence call at a home near Montgomery and Cincinnati, just north of Gonzaga University, according to authorities.
The incident began at 4:40 a.m. on May 21, 2026, when dispatchers received a call from an out-of-state family member reporting Hassel was in crisis with his wife and two young children, according to the SIIR Team. The caller said Hassel was making suicidal statements while armed.
When officers contacted Hassel’s wife by phone, she said he had been drinking, was armed with a gun and knife, and had threatened to kill himself if she called police, according to investigators.
Officers arrived just before 5:00 a.m. and heard arguing and the woman yelling “No, No, No” and “Please don’t!” followed by sounds of a physical struggle, according to the SIIR Team.
Officers forced entry and observed a struggle between the woman and the armed Hassel. During the intervention, Ballard fired his weapon, striking Hassel, who died from his injuries at the scene.
The SIIR Team is investigating with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office as the managing agency. Investigators recovered a handgun, loaded magazine, and knife at the scene and will review body-worn camera footage.
The case will be forwarded to the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office for review once the investigation is complete.
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