LEOs typically only shoot first if someone is threatening them, pointing a gun and advancing on them.
Posted on 11/02/2015 4:48:02 PM PST by Timber Rattler
Idaho State Police are investigating after a Council rancher was shot and killed Sunday by deputies with the Adams County Sheriff's Office.
The incident began when a Subaru station wagon crashed into a bull on US 95 north of Council at about 6:45 p.m. Emergency responders and Adams County deputies responded and were working to extricate the two people inside the car. Adams County Sheriff Ryan Zollman said the bull, which was injured in the collision, started charging at emergency responders and other vehicles.
"The bull was very agitated and was aggressive to emergency services, as well as the other cars coming up and down the highway," he said.
Deputies were getting ready to put the animal down when the bull's owner, 62-year-old Jack Yantis, arrived on the scene with a rifle. Zollman said dispatchers had called Yantis after the crash, telling him that the bull that was hit appeared to be his, and was down on the highway near his house.
What happened next is still under investigation, but Zollman said there was an altercation and Yantis and both deputies all fired their weapons.
Yantis was fatally wounded and died at the scene. One of the deputies suffered a minor injury.
An emotional Zollman said Monday that his thoughts went out to everyone involved, and that his office took the shooting very seriously. ISP has taken over the investigation to prevent a conflict of interest.
"This is going to be a big hit to this community," Zollman said. "The gentleman involved, Mr. Yantis, was a well-known cattle rancher around here. It's just a sad deal for everybody involved, for the whole community."
The deputies who shot Yantis have been placed on paid leave. Their names have not yet been released.
"To the best of my knowledge, this is the first officer-involved shooting that Adams County has ever had," Zollman said.
Yantis' wife, Donna Yantis, suffered a heart attack after learning that her husband had been shot, family members said. She was taken to a Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, where she was listed in critical condition Monday.
Both people inside the Subaru were taken to a Boise hospital by air ambulance. Their conditions are unknown. The bull was killed, although authorities are still investigating whether a bullet from Yantis' gun or one of the deputies' weapons killed the animal.
The area where the bull was hit is open range, Zollman said, and darkness had fallen by the time the Subaru crashed into the black bull in the roadway.
"It's not uncommon for us to have these kind of livestock versus vehicle accidents," he said. "Typically they don't turn out this way."
US 95 was blocked until 3:05 a.m. The investigation is ongoing.
That seems to be apparent but there is absolutely nothing in this article to indicate who or why.
Okay. Let’s quit with the dissing of Subies. Great cars. I have a Forester. I can carry 1000 pounds of feed in it. I am as conservative as can be, not a lesbian, and am always carrying.
Wrong ,open range means the bull had the right of way on the road.
SubaDyke or Lesbaru - those are my terms...
LOL - j/k - but I live in the Madison WI area..
I know of at least one very conservative person who drives the Lesbaru down south tho.. in your defense...
ok, sorry I’m done.
Exactly.
For reference -- IDAHO CODE GENERAL LAWS, TITLE 25, CHAPTER 23, 25-2118 - "No person owning, or controlling the possession of, any domestic animal running on open range, shall have the duty to keep such animal off any highway on such range, and shall not be liable for damage to any vehicle or for injury to any person riding therein, caused by a collision between the vehicle and the animal."
Whatever happened to the days when every officer knew every rancher in small towns and these things were just naturally sorted out among friends? This is awful and sad...plus a sad commentary about the times we live in.
I drove 10 miles of dirt open range road every night from Clay Springs, AZ to west of Snowflake, AZ. Moonless nights were the worst — pitch black. The aircraft landing lights on my car really did help a lot. I could spot the black cows a mile off.
The bull was aggressive, causing an accident.
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Yep, pretty obvious; Open Range, Bull has right of way, stock owner not liable.
Something bad wrong with this whole story. Really bad. Probably on both sides.
The rancher had been told his bull was hit.
It’s pretty damn obvious he went to put the bull down, except the cops were too stupid to figure that out.
Spend lots of time driving US 50 and 95A between Carson City and Fernley NV. Often in the pre dawn morning. The problem is wild horses. Had some close calls at 65 MPH. I have nothing against domestic stock but these serve no purpose. Should all be moved to France.
I had a neighbor call me when I had the farm to let me know my Royal Palm turkeys were in his back yard heading for the woods....Off I went with a good size branch, walked around and in front of the 4 turkeys and when they saw me, they turned around and headed down the neighbors drive way, turned in the right direction to get home. Animals are not stupid as some people think....those damn turkeys squawked at each other all the way to my back yard....I had let them out when I was working outside in the past and they stayed in the back yard....
When the “law” decides it wants to kill a pet or some livestock, it’s gonna kill it no matter how many people have to be put down to make it possible.....<p.That was tongue-in-cheek because we really have no idea of what really went down.
We don’t have the full story.Â
...............
You are correct but to many people that doesn’t matter.
And that's justification for putting five bullets into him?
No, the context was the large animal was a threat. Under such circumstances, police can and do often kill large animals. However, if the owner of the large animal shows up with a gun, and threatens the police with it, if they kill his large animal, he is as much, or more threat as is his animal.
In either situation, if the owner had showed up and was able to control the animal, and did, it would be one case. However, the owner showed up with a rifle. He had no other way of controlling his animal at hand, and the animal was an acute threat.
But, in all fairness, let us consider the alternatives.
The police do not kill the bull, and allow the injured people in the Suburu to die because they are not attended to. The bull continues to attack any people on foot, or any vehicles that enter the area. It may even decide to attack the rescue helicopter.
None of these alternatives are tenable. Had the rancher held his temper, allowed them to kill his bull, he could have sued them in court, and likely lost. However, his bull is likely insured, so he would not be badly harmed with its loss.
Every account I have seen is that the deputies saw a man with a gun and went berserk. I have not seen one account that said the man was being difficult at all.
These people are animals. Much more dangerous than an injured bull! And they'll skate.
These are local deputies, not some wild haired federals. And they probably knew the rancher.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/11/03/rancher-dies-in-shootout-with-deputies-planning-to-kill-bull/
“When Adams County sheriff’s deputies responded to the crash, however, the injured bull began charging them as they worked to get the driver and passenger out of the car, Idaho State Police said.
“The bull was very agitated and was aggressive to emergency services, as well as the other cars coming up and down the highway,” Adams County Sheriff Ryan Zollman said.
“Yantis allegedly arrived with a rifle just as deputies decided to put down the animal. Dispatchers had called Yantis after the crash, telling him a bull that appeared to be his was injured on a highway near Yantis’ home, Zollman told KTVB.
“What happened next is unclear, but Yantis and two deputies all fired their weapons, officials said.”
Okay, if the rancher *had not* lost his temper, why was he shooting at the deputies? Are you assuming they fired first at him? They were trying to kill the bull, not him.
LEOs typically only shoot first if someone is threatening them, pointing a gun and advancing on them. And more so if that person is yelling threats.
LEOs typically only shoot first if someone is threatening them, pointing a gun and advancing on them.
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