CLARKSTON, WA – A 62-year-old Clarkston woman was arrested following an altercation with a neighbor regarding yard plants. According to a Probable Cause Affidavit, Debra D. Peterson was arrested yesterday evening on one count of 2nd-Degree Assault with a Weapon Capable of Bodily Harm.
Clarkston Police responded to the 1100 block of 10th Street after receiving a report of a fight between two women at around 6:10 p.m. Upon arrival, officers found the women in the street with one of them standing on a knife and being circled by Peterson. The knife was described as an open, “small Kershaw pocket knife.”
The second party told officers that the fight began earlier in the day when Peterson allegedly took several plants from her yard. The plants had apparently been payment for Peterson cleaning the woman’s home.
The woman texted Peterson and reportedly told her that “if she came back into her yard she would “kick her ass”. Peterson responded by texting she was there, but when [the woman] walked outside she could see Peterson had the knife,” the affidavit says. “[The woman] advised she called Peterson out about having the knife, at which point Peterson made a threatening gesture with it.”
Officers were told by the woman that Peterson then allegedly made a “sudden lunging motion towards her with the knife, in what appeared to be an attempt to stab her,” according to the affidavit.
The woman reportedly told officers that she shoved Peterson to the ground and kicked the knife away; she then called the police and stood on the knife to keep Peterson from getting it.
Officers spoke to the woman’s family members who had witnessed the altercation and they corroborated her story, the affidavit says. In addition, there was a video of the alleged incident.
“I was shown the video, which verified [the woman’s] statement. The incident occurred where [she] had indicated and Peterson is clearly seen holding the knife. During the video [the family member] had zoomed in on the knife in Peterson’s hand and attempted to stay focused on it. During that time Peterson’s right side is visible, but the rest of her is blocked by [the woman]. Peterson is seen waving the knife around in a threatening manner, then several moments later her hand holding the knife jerks out of view which is quickly followed by Peterson being seen falling to the ground and [the woman] kicking the knife away from her,” an officer says in the affidavit.
Another officer advised Peterson had reportedly been “fairly vague” and claimed she didn’t know what the argument was about.
“However, she did also state she’d been texting with [the woman] and showed up to the home. [The officer] advised Peterson also stated she did have a knife with her, but [the woman] took it from her,” according to the affidavit.
Peterson was then arrested and booked into the Asotin County Jail at 6:45 p.m.
