OAKESDALE, Wash. — The small town of Oakesdale, in the heart of the Palouse, is mourning the loss of one of its own.
Parker Perry, a Spokane County Sheriff’s deputy, K-9 handler and former member of the Army National Guard was fatally wounded in a shooting north of Spangle Tuesday.
He is now on life support at Sacred Heart and not expected to survive.
Perry graduated from Oakesdale High School in 2016 as one of nine students in his class.
Today, the Pre-K through 12th grade school has just 155 students, according to Superintendent and Principal Dr. Jake Dingman.
Dingman began his role as principal when Perry was in fifth grade and watched him grow up alongside his own children.
“He graduated with my oldest son in 2016, so we did little kid basketball, high school basketball, everything all the way through school,” Dingman said.
Dingman said Perry stood out early for his drive.
“Parker was one of the most goal-oriented students I had ever worked with. And as I think back … I still would say that,” Dingman said. “He was always just laser focused on what he wanted to accomplish, whether it was basketball points or steals or whatever he was, he was going to work to be the best at it.”
Perry played on many sports teams, several of them coached by Ken Lindgren, a former coach and teacher who knew Perry and his family well.
“He was team captain and in football he was our quarterback,” Lindgren said.
Athleticism runs in the Perry family. Perry’s mother was part of a state championship team, and his uncle was part of two championship teams, Lindgren said.
Perry’s sister is also an athlete and is a high school senior graduating this spring.
Dingman said the community is taking the loss one step at a time and choosing to remember Perry in everyday moments.
“We’re all very closely tied because, you know, small towns, everyone does everything, and everybody helps with everything. And that’s the situation here with Parker’s family, too.” Dingman said.
Lindgren said Perry’s death is especially hard to accept.
“It’s just pretty heart wrenching to know, you know, here’s a young man who gave what he had when he was in high school playing sports. But then …the ultimate sacrifice for others,” Lindgren said.
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