Patient’s Grandson Charged with Killing of Adventist Home Health Nurse
12 December 2022 |
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON – Douglas Brant, 56, was killed during a home health visit with a patient on December 1, 2022. His career as a caregiver with Providence Home Health spanned approximately two decades and he was well-known among the patients. That Thursday, Brant was conducting a standard visit with his patient, Jean Chandler, to check on her progress after a recent stroke. Jean lived in her mobile home with Willard, her husband, and Mitchell, the couple’s grandson.
An article by Nurse.org shares details from the police report. During the visit, Brant was in the living room talking with Jean and Willard, while Mitchell was nearby cooking in the kitchen.
Jean described that after talking for about an hour with Brant, she heard “three loud booms” and Brant said, “I’ve been shot.” Brant put his computer down, and tried to stand up, but fell to the ground. Willard tried to help him, then went to get Mitchell for help. At that point, Mitchell walked into the living room from the kitchen and shot Brant again while standing over him. Jean attempted to talk to her grandson, but he walked away without speaking and left the house, according to her recollection.
Mitchell was apprehended by police 20 hours later on skis taken from a nearby storage unit, and charged with Brant’s death. His grandmother testified that he had previous brain injuries from bull-riding and was paranoid, but opposed to taking medications. He had also been arrested for assaulting a veterinarian, and for threatening to shoot developers at a construction site.
Brant held the position of treasurer with the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), and the organization released a statement saying they are “heartbroken” by the loss. According to KREM2 News, he also was very active in his local church. He ran the audio board every Sabbath at Upper Columbia Academy Church outside of Spangle and taught kids how to play guitar at Upper Columbia Academy.
Pastor Kevin Wilfley was Brant’s pastor at the church and shared that they were saddened for his loss. “We spent some time this past weekend in our church service talking about why bad things happen and how to deal with them,” Wilfley said. “We should never take people for granted. Love the people in your family, don’t put off caring for them, and give the compliments that they need to hear because you never know when you won’t have that opportunity.”