SPOKANE POLICE OFFICER IN CONNECTION WITH A SEXUAL

ASSAULT INVESTIGATION

SERGEANT JOHN GATELY IS ACCUSED OF RENDERING CRIMINAL

ASSISTANCE TO RAPE SUSPECT sergeant GORDON ENNIS.

KXLY FOUR'S JEFF HUMPHREY JOINS US LIVE, JEFF INVESTIGATORS

THINK GATELY TIPPED ENNIS OFF?

SPECIFICALLY, THAT SGT.

GATELY WARNED ENNIS THAT SHERIFF'S DETECTIVES WERE

TRYING TO GET A SEARCH WARRANT TO OBTAIN SAMPLES OF

ENNIS' D-N-A AND BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE THAT MIGHT BE

ON HIS HANDS.

DEPUTIES SAY 16 JUST MINUTES PASSED BETWEEN THE TIME

GATELY KNEW THE INVESTIGATIVE PLAN AND HIS SECOND

PHONE CALL TO SGT ENNIS.

ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS, GATELY FIRST BECAME

AWARE OF THE CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST ENNIS BECAUSE GATELY

IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE SPOKANE POLICE GUILD.

ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS.

THAT'S WHEN GATELY CALLED THE SUSPECT AT P.M IN A

CONVERSATION THAT LASTED APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE.

GATELY WHO ALSO SERVES ON THE DEPARTMENT'S PEER ASSISTANCE

TEAM, A GROUP THAT HELPS OFFICER IN CRISIS.

CHIEF RICK DOBROW /SPOKANE POLICE DEPT 52;51 sometimes

they are privy to some information that is not released

to the general population of the the organization,

of course not any type of information that would compromise

any type of investigation 53;05

BUT SHERIFF'S DETECTIVES SAY THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.

THAT AS A PEER ASSISTANCE TEA MEMBER GATELY LEARNED

SHERIFF'S DETECTIVES WERE TRYING TO GET A SEARCH WARRANT

FOR ENNIS' DNA AT SUNDAY MORNING.

JUST 16 MINUTES LATER GATELY WAS BACK ON THE PHONE

TO ENNIS.

ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS AT APPROXIMATELY SGT.

GATELY CALLED THE SUSPECT GORDON ENNIS AND HAD A PHONE

CONVERSATION LASTING APPROXIMATELY 6 MINUTES AND 33

SECONDS.

RIGHT AFTER THAT, ENNIS MADE NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS

AND SENT TEXT MESSAGES LOOKING FOR HELP IN GETTING

AN ATTORNEY.

DETECTIVES THINK THAT BECAUSE JUST 16 MINUTES PASSED

BETWEEN THE TIME GATELY KNEW A SEARCH WARRANT WAS

COMING AND HE CALLED ENNIS.

THAT GATELY WARNED ENNIS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAS

AFTER HIM.

CHIEF RICK DOBROW /SPOKANE POLICE DEPT.

03;24 there is not going to be, i'm afraid, a happy

ending for anybody involved in this 03;29

TODAY GATELY'S ATTORNEY SAID HIS CLIENT IS INNOCENT,

THAT THE CHARGES AGAINST HIM ARE UNFOUNDED AND THAT

HE WILL VIGOROUSLY DEFEND HIM.

ALSO TODAY SGT.

GATELY RECEIVED A SUMMONS TO APPEAR IN SUPERIOR COURT

DECEMBER 16TH.

THE CITY OF SPOKANE MUST NOW DECIDE IF THEY WILL SUSPEND

GATELY WITH OUT PAY.

JEFF HUMPHREY, KXLY4 .