Woman pleads not guilty in revolver-pointing; deputy who shot her identified
The woman shot by a Spokane County deputy last week after she allegedly pointed a revolver at passing drivers on U.S. Highway 195 pleaded not guilty Monday to five felony charges related to the incident.
Tina A. Fricke, 21, is accused of pointing the stolen Smith & Wesson revolver at three drivers on the afternoon of Dec. 28, court documents say. She faces three felony assault charges and has also been charged with two gun-related felonies.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office identified the deputy who shot her as Mike McNees, a 14-year veteran of the department. A news release sent last week by the Spokane Investigative Regional Response team did not identify McNees, but said the deputy confronted Fricke while she still was holding the gun and shot her once in the shoulder. Fricke was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and booked into jail Dec. 31.
The Spokane Police Department is investigating the shooting as part of the SIRR team. Dashboard camera video of the shooting from the Washington State Patrol will be released once the investigation is complete.
Court documents say the revolver allegedly used in the crime belonged to a man who shares Fricke’s last name, but his relationship to her is not mentioned. He told investigators he last saw the gun in his safe and came home from work on Dec. 28 to find the gun’s holster on his porch.
Fricke has a prior felony conviction in Washington for taking a motor vehicle without permission and is not allowed to possess a gun, District Court Judge Sara Derr said. Fricke is being held in jail in lieu of $250,000 bond.