EVERETT — New Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney has reinstated a deputy who was fired by Fortney’s predecessor over a fatal shooting.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the sheriff said Deputy Arthur Wallin never should have been fired in the first place.
Wallin shot and killed 24-year-old Nickolas Peters following a chase by Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies in October 2018. At the time of the shooting, deputies had pinned Peters’ truck against some bushes, and Fortney’s partner had jumped on the hood of Peters’ truck.
Investigators found that Wallin and his partner shouted conflicting commands — to turn off the truck, and to put his hands up — outside Peters’ vehicle before Wallin shot him twice. Peters’ girlfriend was also in the truck at the time and said Peters had put his hands up when he was shot.
Then-Sheriff Ty Trenary fired Wallin following an internal investigation, saying the deputy had broken policy by pursuing Peters and by shooting him. The Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office declined to file charges, but earlier this month the county settled a federal lawsuit brought by Peters’ family for $1 million.
Fortney was a sergeant before challenging and beating his old boss in the November election. He said that after taking office he conducted a review of the case. He found that Wallin’s pursuit of the suspect was within policy because the suspect was under the influence of alcohol or drugs and had rammed patrol cars, and the shooting was within policy because Wallin was protecting his partner from an imminent threat.
“I believe I speak for many Sheriff’s Office employees that we were shocked when the former administration decided to terminate him even after he was cleared of criminal charges by the Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney,” Fortney wrote. “The bottom line is, Deputy Wallin never should have been terminated in the first place. Deputy sheriffs are expected to make split-second decisions in situations which are tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving.”
