Disputes over ice led to shootings near the Lilac Parade route

A fight that began over ice cream at a downtown Spokane supermarket during the Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade on Saturday ended with an arrest and two people in the hospital, according to court records.

The parade was stopped and rerouted around 9 p.m. after police received reports of a shooting at the Prime Minister Jacoy Supermarket at Washington Street and Sprague Avenue, Lt. Jay Kernkamp of the Spokane Police Department on Saturday.

Police arrested Charles H. Michael, 32, on suspicion of first-degree assault after he was treated at a local hospital for a head wound caused by the shooting, court records show.

Prime Minister Jacoy's owner, Eui Hwang, told police that he saw two people leaving the door of a freezer open for a long time without buying anything, so he asked them to close the door and leave when they didn't want to buy ice cream. One of them, Ashley Tsoodle, became upset and threw a container of ice cream on the ground, according to court documents.

Hwang grabbed Tsoodle and tried to walk her out of the store when she and Michael began punching Hwang and hitting him with an ice scraper, Hwang told investigators, according to records.

His son, Ryan Hwang, came out of the back of the store yelling that Michael had a knife. According to court documents, Ryan Hwang tried to intervene but was also attacked.

He saw Michael holding up a large knife and pointing it at Eui Hwang during the scuffle. He said he was afraid Michael would stab his father, so Ryan Hwang tried to stop Michael and told him to drop the gun.

Another employee also intervened and struck Michael in the back of the head with a pipe, causing him to release the knife. According to court documents, Tsoodle and Ryan Hwang were arguing at the same time.

As they punched each other, Ryan Hwang's Glock 17, which he carries for protection, accidentally discharged, grazing the side of Michael's head and hitting Tsoodle.

Both left the store and police arrived, court documents say.

Michael, who spoke to police at the hospital, told a different story.

He said Eui Hwang attacked Tsoodle after she threw her ice cream, and Michael threw the ice cream at his head in retaliation, court records show. As Eui Hwang and Tsoodle “were arguing,” Michael tried to break up the fight, he said.

As Ryan Hwang and the other employee Eui Hwang came to help, Michael noticed that the knife in his belt had fallen to the ground. When he was hit in the head with a pipe, he reached out to grab it, he told police. Michael held the knife above his head and told everyone he wouldn't use it, but he would if he had to, court records say.

Michael said Ryan Hwang fired the gun twice and Tsoodle screamed that they had to get out of the store. He noticed she was bleeding when she got outside, he told police.

Michael is currently being held in the Spokane County Jail. Court records show that a warrant has been issued for his arrest on multiple charges of identity theft and forgery.