Stevens County deputy shoots, kills man accused of attacking deputy prosecutor with machete

A Stevens County Sheriff’s Office deputy shot and killed a man who charged at the deputy with the same machete the man is accused of using to attack a county prosecutor earlier on Friday.

The man attacked the prosecutor, identified by Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney Erika George as N. Smith “Smitty” Hagopian, while Hagopian was walking to his car near the courthouse Friday afternoon, according to a sheriff’s office Facebook post.

George said the suspect spotted Hagopian, drove a van to him, got out and attacked him. She said she believed the suspect tried to cut Hagopian’s neck, but the prosecutor ducked, causing the long cut to his face that required about 30 stitches.

“It’s extremely concerning that the prosecutor was targeted for doing his job,” George said.

Hagopian, Stevens County chief criminal deputy prosecutor, provided information to law enforcement to identify the suspect and his vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.

A short time later, a sheriff’s deputy located the suspect’s vehicle parked in a gravel lot north of Colville. As the deputy exited his patrol vehicle, the suspect got out of his vehicle with the machete and charged at the deputy.

“The deputy was forced to shoot and kill the suspect,” the sheriff’s office said.

First responders rendered medical aid, but the suspect died.

George and Hagopian knew the suspect and had worked his case Monday, George said.

She said the suspect, who she declined to identify because of the deputy shooting investigation, was acquitted last year in a bench trial for a felony threat to kill charge in which he was accused of holding a machete. The suspect was, however, convicted of misdemeanor harassment and released from jail. George prosecuted that case.

In that incident, George said the defendant told law enforcement officers they would have to kill him. Officers de-escalated the situation and took him into custody.

George said the defendant was arrested this winter on a warrant for a parole violation. He was ordered to perform community service and was released from jail in February.

She said he never did his community service and was taken to jail Monday.

George appeared virtually for Monday’s court hearing while Hagopian was present in the courtroom. The defendant was given credit for time served from the February arrest and released that day.

George said the defendant was hanging around the courthouse and looking into windows after his release.

Hagopian was treated at Providence Mount Carmel Hospital in Colville and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the sheriff’s office.

George said he was released from the hospital Friday and was in “good spirits.”

She said Hagopian has been an attorney for over 30 years and came to the Stevens County Prosecutor’s Office about one year ago from Douglas County. Hagopian is running this year for a Superior Court judge position that covers Ferry, Pend Oreille and Stevens counties.

George said the prosecutor’s office was extremely “shaken up” by the incident but has received support from the sheriff’s office and community.

She said they’re not used to violence like this in a small county, but “we all know the inherent dangers of what we do.”

The Northeast Washington Independent Investigation Team is investigating. The Washington State Patrol is the lead investigating agency.