June 5 – The 43-year-old man who set fire to a West Central home where he and others were squatting in April was sentenced Wednesday to full drug treatment.
Nicholes Whitney was scheduled to be released from jail Wednesday evening and taken to a treatment center.
During the arson investigation, another man, 38-year-old Alan Jenks, crouched at 1820 W. Dean Ave., fired a gun as police tried to arrest him, Spokane police said.
Two officers returned fire, killing Jenks. The shooting remains under investigation.
According to court records, Whitney had fled at the time of the shooting.
The night of the fire, Whitney knocked on the door of the home’s basement bedroom and started talking about how he was calling people to set the house on fire, witnesses told police.
Other people in the home saw smoke coming from the upstairs bedroom.
According to court records, Whitney was arrested several days after the shooting and charged with multiple counts of arson.
Whitney pleaded guilty last month to one count of reckless burning.
Spokane County Deputy District Attorney Sharon Hedlund said in court Wednesday that prosecutors had difficulty obtaining evidence from the Spokane Fire Department.
She said Whitney’s previous convictions were nonviolent and largely property crimes, which led to the plea agreement.
Spokane County Superior Court Judge Raymond Clary sentenced Whitney to three to six months of drug treatment with a compliance review hearing in September. If Whitney completes the treatment program, he will be on probation for two years.
If he fails to complete the program, he could be resentenced to a maximum of 18 months in prison.
