John Bazan’s Case Dismissed After Attempted Suicide: Washington State University Incident

Accident – Death – Obituary News : : 1. WSU student case dropped
2. WSU student legal dispute resolved

The Whitman County Prosecutor’s Office has dropped a criminal case against a Washington State University student involved in an incident with a campus officer. John Bazan, 20, was arrested after reporting himself as the one with a knife at the Global Scholars residence hall. Bazan, who was found concealing his hands in his sweatshirt, ignored commands to stop and show his hands, prompting an officer to fire his weapon. Bazan was later found to be dealing with mental health issues, leading the prosecutor to dismiss the charges. The officer involved is on administrative leave pending investigation by the Critical Incident Investigative Response Team.

Man with a Knife at Global Scholars Residence Hall Leads to Dismissal of Case

On April 9, the Whitman County Prosecutor’s Office made the decision to drop a criminal case against a Washington State University student who was involved in an incident that resulted in the use of a firearm by a campus officer. The incident, which took place at the Global Scholars residence hall, has been described as an attempted suicide by Whitman County Prosecutor Denis Tracy.

Mental Health Issues Lead to Case Dismissal

After his arrest on March 27, 20-year-old John Bazan underwent in-patient mental health treatment at a hospital. Tracy cited Bazan’s mental health issues, including the fact that he had written a suicide note prior to the event, as the reason for dropping the case. Bazan’s initial appearance in court on March 28 led to his release so he could receive uninterrupted mental health treatment as ordered by the court.

Details of the Incident

Officers responded to a report of a man with a knife at the Global Scholars residence hall, only to discover that Bazan had reported himself as the one with the weapon. When officers made contact with Bazan on the fourth floor, he was found concealing his hands in his sweatshirt. Despite instructions to stop and show his hands, Bazan continued to advance towards the officers.

Police attempted to maintain a safe distance from Bazan, but he persisted in moving closer. One officer tried to use a stun gun, which proved ineffective. Eventually, WSU Officer Dillon Tiedeman-Mueller fired his weapon, narrowly missing Bazan. Another officer then used a stun gun to subdue Bazan, leading to his arrest on charges of third-degree assault, obstructing an officer, and resisting arrest.

Investigation and Administrative Leave

Following the incident, Officer Tiedeman-Mueller was placed on administrative leave. The Critical Incident Investigative Response Team, comprised of Palouse Area Law Enforcement, is currently conducting an independent investigation into the events that transpired. Tiedeman-Mueller, who has been a WSU police officer for two and a half years, previously served as a Latah County Sheriff’s deputy for three and a half years.

For more information about this incident, contact Pearce at epearce@dnews.com.