Deal drops 11 felonies, gives teen jail stint

A Tri-Cities man was sentenced to 60 days in jail on Monday in a plea deal that dropped 11 felonies that could have sent him to prison for life.

Nicholas W. J. Birden, 19, had been charged with 10 counts of drive-by shooting and attempted first-degree murder in connection with a June 11 shooting in Spokane.

Birden was playing basketball when he became angry and fired a shot at the other players, according to court testimony. No one was injured.

Birden entered an Alford plea to second-degree assault, meaning he didn’t admit guilt but acknowledged enough evidence existed for a conviction.