Kevin Ellison’s Arrest After a Liberty Lake Apartment Fire

In June 2012, Spokane Shock player Kevin Ellison was arrested after a fire in his Liberty Lake, Washington, apartment. While being treated for smoke inhalation at Deaconess Medical Center, he reportedly told an investigator that he had set his bed on fire because God told him to. He initially had said that he fell asleep while smoking in bed.

The fire broke out early on a Thursday morning at the Big Trout Lodge apartment complex. Around 5:30 a.m., Spokane Valley firefighters heading to another call saw flames coming from the building and diverted to it. Ellison escaped through a third-floor window, and police helped evacuate the complex. His apartment was badly damaged, several other units sustained minor smoke damage, and the total damage was estimated at $50,000.

Ellison’s roommate, also a Shock teammate, told investigators that smoke alarms had awakened him. When he went to check on Ellison, Ellison did not open his bedroom door and answered, “I’m good.” The roommate left the apartment and began warning other tenants.

KXLY-TV reported that evidence in the apartment did not match Ellison’s initial account. During an interview at the hospital, he said he had used a cigar to set his bed on fire because God had instructed him to. A fire investigator advised him of his right to remain silent; Ellison waived that right and repeated the statement, according to the report. After speaking with a family member, he invoked his right to counsel and stopped answering questions.

Shock general manager Ryan Rigmaiden told investigators that Ellison had given him a similar account, saying he used a “blunt” to set the bed on fire because God told him to. Ellison, 25, faced a federal arson charge and was suspended by the Arena Football League. Shock owner Brady Nelson emphasized that the allegation had not been adjudicated: “I think the investigation needs to play out, but if he truly did this, he’s never coming back.”