In the small city of Omak, Washington, a routine call on March 25, 1998, escalated into a tragedy that would deeply scar the community. Michael W. Marshall, a 43-year-old Caucasian male and a dedicated patrol officer with the Omak Police Department, was responding to a report of a domestic disturbance at a local motel. He had served on the force for 11 years and was known as a devoted public servant, a loving husband, and a caring father.
That evening, Officer Marshall and his partner,
Donald Eddy Jr., were dispatched to the Stampede Motel after the owner reported a man threatening her. The man, later identified as Juan Duarte Gonzales, was reportedly upset after being told his ex-girlfriend, a guest at the motel, did not want to see him. The officers located Gonzales in an alley behind the motel and began to question him. Despite repeated warnings from the officers, Gonzales refused to take his hands out of his pockets.
In a sudden and violent turn of events, Gonzales pulled a handgun from one of his pockets and shot Officer Marshall in the head. As Officer Eddy returned fire, striking Gonzales, the assailant drew another gun from his other pocket and shot Eddy in the groin. Officer Marshall was rushed to a local hospital and then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he succumbed to his injuries early the next morning.
The suspect, Juan Duarte Gonzales, was also taken to Harborview for his injuries and placed under police guard. An investigation revealed that Gonzales, a 41-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, had a criminal history, including a prior conviction for child rape, and had been deported on at least two previous occasions. In the wake of the shooting, the community of Omak mourned the loss of one of its own. In February 2000, Juan Duarte Gonzales was convicted of Officer Marshall's murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He received an additional 36 years for the attempted murder of Officer Eddy.
