Man shot by deputy reportedly armed with stolen pistol

A man shot multiple times by a Steven County sheriff’s deputy early Saturday was threatening the deputy with a stolen gun, Stevens County Sheriff Kendle Allen said Sunday. Allen said Trinidy Lopez, 23, was pointing the handgun at the deputy or raising the gun toward him when the deputy fired. Lopez, of Loon Lake, is listed in satisfactory condition today at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. Allen said deputies were called to the Loon Lake business district after 1 a.m. Saturday on a report of multiple car break-ins near Luke’s BBQ. He said Lopez emerged as a suspect in the break-ins and deputies went to his home at 4359 E. Deer Lake Road. The two deputies were let inside the home by a resident about 3 a.m., Allen said. Only one of the deputies fired. Allen said he believed the shooting took place in a bedroom and that deputies were in different parts of the home when shots were fired. Allen said the names of the deputy would be released Tuesday or before. The deputy was interviewed by investigators on Saturday. “We left that up to him and he wanted to give his version of the story as soon as possible,” Allen said. The incident is being investigated by a team of detectives from the Spokane Investigative Regional Response Team, which includes the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Police Department and Washington State Patrol. Allen said the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office also is participating in the investigation. Lopez was wanted on a warrant issued from Spokane County at the time of the incident, Allen said. Allen said the gun that Lopez was holding was stolen just a few hours earlier in Loon Lake. “We recovered the bulk of the stolen items that were taken from the vehicle prowls,” Allen said. Property records indicate the home where the shooting occurred is owned by Alfred Lopez. Multiple people were inside the home when the shooting occurred, Allen said.