Stevens County deputy involved in another police shooting

October 26, 2012

A Stevens County Sheriff’s deputy involved in the fatal shooting near Springdale last week was involved with the shooting of a vehicle prowling suspect at Loon Lake in March 2011.
Deputy Travis Frizzell and Reserve Deputy Nick Wolfe responded to a 911 call on Deer Creek Road on Oct. 19. During the call, the pair came in contact with an armed 66-year-old John Peterson, who was on the phone.
Peterson moved toward Wolfe while pointing his gun. The reserve deputy fired one shot, fatally wounding Peterson.
The victim, a Vietnam War veteran, was known to contact police officers when he got depressed.
Frizzell, who worked for the Chewelah Police Department before joining the Stevens County Sheriff’s Department more than five years ago, responded to a Deer Lake Road call in March 2011.
Invited into the home by family members, the deputy came in contact with vehicle prowling suspect Trinidy Lopez in an upstairs bedroom. The confrontation resulted in Lopez being shot numerous times by Frizzell.
Lopez survived the shooting. The deputy was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing in the subsequent investigation by the Spokane Investigative Regional Response Team, which is also collecting evidence in the Peterson shooting.