Woman who shot man ‘out of fear’ sentenced to nearly 8 years in prison

A judge sentenced a woman who shot a man out of fear in July to eight years in prison, according to a news release from the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office.

Trinity Christenson, 24, shot 27-year-old Coal Strode outside an apartment complex at 15 E. Central Ave., across from a Rite Aid store.

Friends interviewed by police claimed that Strode frequently harasses Christenson and writes letters, poems, fantasies and graffiti about her and a “fictionally planned wedding,” according to court records.

When police caught up with Christenson, she said she was fearful she would encounter Strode alone because he would “pop up” everywhere she goes.

When investigators indicated they had video footage of her fleeing the scene, according to court records, Christenson broke down crying and admitted she was the one who shot Strode, documents say.

Christenson pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and prosecutors agreed to sentence her to the “low end” of Washington’s sentencing guidelines for someone with no prior felony convictions, according to the release.