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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In brief: Man shot by deputy charged with assault

A Stevens County man shot by law enforcement in March has been charged with six felonies, including assault against the sheriff’s deputy who shot him.

Trinidy Capone Lopez, 24, is accused of pointing a stolen semi-automatic Taurus .380 caliber pistol at Deputy Travis Frizzell before Frizzell shot him March 5 in an upstairs bedroom at his parents’ home at 4359 E. Deer Lake Road. Lopez was suspected of vehicle prowlings outside a bar; he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a previous felony conviction.

Stevens County Prosecutor Tim Rasmussen recently determined the shooting was justified and declined to file criminal charges against Frizzell. Lopez was charged Wednesday in Stevens County Superior Court with second-degree assault, possessing a stolen firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm and three counts of second-degree vehicle prowling.

The second-degree assault charge includes an aggravating factor that brings an additional year in prison because the victim was a law enforcement official and a gun was involved.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Pilings in Cougar Bay remain for wildlife

Historic pilings in Lake Coeur d’Alene’s Cougar Bay will be preserved for osprey nesting through an agreement between Kootenai County and the Cougar Bay Osprey Protective Association.

Association members will volunteer their time to maintain the pilings, removing the structures when they deteriorate. In return, the county will allow the pilings to remain as habitat for osprey and other waterfowl.

The pilings originally were installed as part of a log storage area on the lake. Over the years, the pilings have provided nesting and perching sites for osprey. About 20 pairs of osprey inhabit the bay.

Staff reports

Fire inside mine prompts evacuation

The Lucky Friday Mine was evacuated Tuesday evening after an employee reported smoke in the silver mine.

The smoke was reported in the mine’s 4900 level. The fire was out by the time that Hecla Mining Co.’s mine rescue teams and federal inspectors reached the area, said Melanie Hennessey, Hecla’s vice president of investor relations. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

No employees were working in the area where the smoke was reported and no one was hurt, she said. Mining operations at the Lucky Friday resumed about 4 p.m. Wednesday, she said.

Becky Kramer