Bear spray - or bullets? Ex-mayor handles 'intense' home invasion

SPIRIT LAKE — Todd Clary almost walked past the room where a home invasion suspect was hiding, but the former longtime Spirit Lake mayor thought otherwise during his search for what aroused his dogs.

"The thought came to my mind that I wouldn't want my back to him," said Clary, referring to the incident at his home on Delaware Street on Sunday night.

That's when Clary pushed on the door before it was stopped by Sukmanitu Littlebrave, 21, Sagle, who was hiding behind it.

"When the door bounced off of him, I know somebody was behind the door," Clary said. "I leaned up against the door and yelled at him. When he stuck his head out, I sprayed him with bear spray and he went right to the ground."

Clary said Littlebrave, who was later arrested, wouldn't comply to commands to remain on the floor, so he sprayed the suspect some more.

"I probably used half of the can in four bursts," Clary said. "Every time he'd move, I'd spray him. I couldn't get him to quit moving."

When Littlebrave rose to his feet, Clary said he wished he had his pistol instead of the bear spray.

"In hindsight, if he would have grabbed the razor knife that he dropped below my bed, I could've been in serious trouble," Clary said. "This guy was physically larger than I am, was obviously impaired and not in his right capacity. There were a couple points in that altercation where I'd asked my wife to give me my gun. It got to be a real intense situation."

Clary said Littlebrave at one point tried to reach under the bed for the knife, which Clary said the suspect took from his garage.

"I asked him what he was putting under my bed," said Clary, who didn't realize at the time that Littlebrave was reaching for the knife.

Clary said Littlebrave didn't care if Clary shot him, jerked the window open and dove through the screen before police arrived.

"Even if I had my handgun I wouldn't have shot the guy if he was going away from me, especially after I had him on the floor," Clary said. "But there was a time when I wasn't so sure which direction he'd be heading. I could see his hands, but that doesn't mean he didn't have anything on him."

Littlebrave ran into an adjacent wooded area and was later found by law enforcement hiding in concrete debris on a vacant lot between Blackwell Boulevard and Joss Lane.

He was arrested without further incident on charges of unlawful entry, unlawful entry while fleeing from police, obstructing, and public intoxication. Additional charges may be filed, pending the investigation.

Police said multiple homeowners reported a male suspect attempting to enter their homes in the area of Frederick Loop, running through yards and hiding behind vehicles during the search.

"Police knew where he was because he kept coughing from the spray," Clary said.

The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office and a K-9 unit from Coeur d'Alene responded to assist with the search.

Clary said he was sleeping when his wife woke him around 10:30 p.m.

"She said, 'The dogs are barking like crazy and now someone is in the house,'" he said. "I got up and put the dogs back in the garage and my wife handed me the can of bear spray that we had on the bed post. She thought she heard a doorstop spring."

Clary said the door to the house was unlocked.

"I never thought someone would come through the door with the dogs barking," he said.

Clary said some antique knick-knacks were broken during the escape, but Littlebrave didn't leave with any items.

Residents who were witnesses or believe they had property damaged during the incident are urged to call police at 208-623-2701. Police believe it was a random, isolated case and not an ongoing concern.

"However, we still urge citizens to exercise appropriate caution by locking doors on homes and vehicles, ensuring personal property is secured and not left outside unattended," a Spirit Lake Police press release states.

Clary said he's thankful the incident didn't end in a tragedy, adding that the readily available bear spray proved to be "cheap insurance" against such an incident

"I'm absolutely happy with the way it ended," he said. "He's not dead and neither am I."