30-year-old man accused of shooting man and killing dog appears in court

A Spokane Valley shooting that left one man injured and his dog killed may have stemmed from previous disagreements over a stolen trailer and tire slashing, according to court documents.

Tyler L. Peterson, 30, fled the shooting scene and was arrested a short time later at his Perry District home in Spokane. Peterson made his first appearance Thursday in Spokane County Superior Court on charges of first-degree assault and first-degree animal cruelty. His bond was set at $200,000.

Detectives say Peterson used a .380-caliber semiautomatic pistol to shoot 31-year-old Bryson Snell, who sustained a gunshot wound to the stomach.

He was listed in critical condition at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, according to court records. A Providence spokeswoman said Thursday that Snell wasn’t at the hospital.

Snell’s dog, a brown pitbull named Cujo, was shot in the head and found dead in the driveway, according to court documents.

According to witnesses, gunshots rang out about 4:50 a.m. Wednesday in front of 18114 E. Cowley Ave.

Snell’s roommate told police she was in the kitchen when Snell went outside to the front yard that morning. She heard gunshots a few minutes later and a second round of shots a few seconds after that.

As she and others exited the house, a dog got out. She heard more gunshots and realized her dog, Cujo, was shot. She saw a dark-colored SUV leave her driveway and drive west on Cowley.

Snell told her “Irish,” who she knew as Peterson, shot him.

She said she knew Snell and Peterson had previous issues, which involved Peterson coming to the house and slashing car tires, according to court documents. She told police this was reportedly due to Snell selling Peterson a stolen trailer.

She told a responding deputy Snell was inside the house and had been shot.

The deputy rendered aid to Snell, who told him he was walking to the mailbox when an unknown person shot him.

Snell’s girlfriend said she and Snell, who was not feeling well prior to the shooting, returned home from the hospital about one hour before the shooting. She was asleep around 4:45 a.m. when she heard gunshots, ran outside and saw Cujo dead in the driveway.

A man who was staying with Peterson at Peterson’s home told deputies that Peterson asked him for a ride more than two hours before the shooting. He said Peterson did not state the purpose for the ride, but he assumed it involved buying or selling drugs.

He drove Peterson and a friend in his black 2014 Buick Enclave. Peterson directed him to drive to an address off Barker Road where Peterson got out and spoke with a man for about 10 minutes, the driver told deputies.

Peterson got back in the car and directed him to the residence of Snell, who the driver had never met. Peterson directed the woman in the car to send texts, presumably to Snell, to coordinate Snell coming out to the car once they arrived. It appeared Peterson did not want Snell to know Peterson was in the car, the driver told deputies.

Snell came out of the house and got into the back seat of the Buick. Peterson immediately told Snell in a threatening manner something akin to, “You know what time it is.” He said Snell appeared surprised Peterson was in the car.

As Snell tried to get out of the car, Peterson reached back toward Snell and the two men got in a brief fight, according to the driver. Snell got out of the car when the driver said he heard two gunshots and saw Peterson holding a black semiautomatic handgun.

He said Snell started to retreat to his house or one of the two vehicles parked in his driveway. Peterson got out of the SUV and fired one or two additional gunshots before getting back in the Buick. Peterson yelled at the driver, “Go,” three times.

Peterson told him to drive through random neighborhoods before demanding he pull over so Peterson could drive. He said Peterson told him Snell had a gun in his waistband, and Peterson believed Snell was reaching for it, so he shot Snell.

The driver said he did not see Snell with a gun.

When speaking with detectives, Peterson denied being at the scene and having any involvement in the shooting. He said he knew Snell but did not have issues with him. He admitted he and Snell both slashed each other’s tires in the last couple months.

Peterson, who remained in jail Thursday afternoon, is set for an arraignment Tuesday.