Posted on 02/09/2021 3:39:26 PM PST by nickcarraway
A law enforcement officer shot and killed an Idaho Falls man who was in the location where a suspect fled following a traffic stop early Monday morning.
The Idaho Falls Police Department hosted a news conference explaining the situation. Police Chief Bryce Johnson said the man shot was a homeowner in his backyard and was holding a gun. The suspect was found in the vicinity a short time later.
Neither of the names of the victim or suspect is being released at this time.
According to a news release, IDPD said shortly after midnight a Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputy pulled over a car on First Street in Idaho Falls. The car came to stop at Lincoln Drive and one occupant fled on foot into a residential neighborhood. The deputy informed law enforcement of the direction the man fled on foot and provided a clothing description, including a black shirt.
A number of IFPD officers and sheriff’s deputies responded to the area.
While searching for the suspect a police officer spoke briefly with a resident near Tendoy and Syringa drives and explained the situation and that law enforcement would be in the area for a while.
During this time, law enforcement was able to determine the identity of the suspect and learned he had multiple warrants out for his arrest and had a history of violent interactions with law enforcement.
A second occupant in the car that was stopped spoke with law enforcement and provided law enforcement with a GPS location of the suspect, which put him in the backyard of a residence on the corner of Tendoy and Syringa drives. Officers and deputies surrounded the location to prevent the suspect from fleeing. Based on known information about the suspect, officers entered the area with their weapons drawn.
According to a news release, officers heard yelling and approached the backyard where they encountered a man wearing a black shirt armed with a firearm. Officers gave instructions for the man to drop the gun.
“We do not currently have the answers as to what exactly occurred during these moments,” said Chief Johnson. “We do know that during this interaction, an Idaho Falls Police Officer discharged his service weapon firing one shot which struck the man. Officers attempted life-saving measures, but they were unsuccessful. Emergency medical personnel from the Idaho Falls Fire Department also responded and were also unable to provide any lifesaving aide to the man.”
Ultimately, officers and deputies determined that the man that had been shot was not the suspect male but was actually the resident of that address.
Shortly after the shot was fired, a deputy in the area reported seeing a man running through the area. Officers and deputies tracked this man to a nearby residence where he was found hiding in a shed in the backyard of the residence. This man was positively identified as the suspect male who ran from the traffic stop and was taken into custody at that time.
The IFPD officer who discharges his weapon has been placed on administrative leave.
The Eastern Idaho Critical Taskforce is investigating the situation, with Idaho State Police leading. Police said from the time of the traffic stop, the shooting and arrest of the suspect was about 10 minutes.
“There are no words to express how heavy our hearts are today,” Johnson said in a statement. “This situation is devastatingly tragic for the family, for the officer, and those that love and care about them. We all feel the weight of what has occurred today. Our sincere sympathies are with the family and friends of those involved, most especially the family of the deceased.”
He was in his own backyard.
Only police are qualified to have guns.
Riiiiiight.
This happens quite frequently. The cops are on the scene investigating a violent situation and an innocent homeowner stepped outside to see what’s going on.
Bang. He’s dead.
Oh hell, they’ll shoot thru the windows to kill you INSIDE your own home.
God DAMN these LEO! Murder in the 1st! No quarter!! Before long, they will check the voting party of the resident and exercise excessive force based thereon!
Exactly right. I remember that incident in Fort Worth were a trigger-happy cop shot a young woman who was just simply standing inside her kitchen.
More to come. First reports always sound so reasonable. Was his shirt really black? Was there a light on in the back yard? Did the shot guy appear to be the same age as the suspect? Did the shot guy refuse to drop his gun, or did the police not identify themselves and he turned to see who was talking to him?
The cop needs to be charges with negligent homicide - the same thing that would happen if any regular citizen (non-cop) killed someone through negligent handling of a handgun or operation of a motor vehicle.
The actual suspect ran from a traffic stop, and had no evident gun, right?
If he had no gun, then he couldn't drop his gun.
If the police order you to drop your gun, and you don't have a gun, then you are disobeying a police order, right?
There was another one in CO, either Denver or Aurora.
Shot a homeowner right thru the picture window.
“Whoops, we are SO sorry.”
“The actual suspect ran from a traffic stop, and had no evident gun, right?”
Shoot on sight of course, cannot allow him to make the cop look bad.
"Get down on the ground!!!"
Notice how the excuses are the first thing you hear from the police.
Good thing the only people alive to tell the story are police..who were ALL IN FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES...or so the story will go...
“He did not comply...”
“He reached for his waistband...”
“I saw a gun...”
“At least everyone got to go home that night...”
“Oh look, a squirrel...”
Were it not for Qualified Immunity this would result in a Manslaughter charge.
Totally appropriate.
As it is, the worst case is administrative discipline.
How does Qualified Immunity apply here.
How are we to know who’s at fault if they never tell us the race of those involved. sarc...
For real, I wonder if the true suspect was in this guy’s yard and he when out with gun to check on what was going on. Sad but have to hear full story before judging.
Many years ago, the WA state patrol chased a guy wanted for murder up on to my mountainside property, they had the local county deputies helping them. The local cops knew me and that I was very well armed and proficient.
It was around 0200hrs.
They did not approach my house, I had figured out that they were cops due to the K9 guys, so I stayed inside.
Armed and waiting. Nobody died.
The suspect was tracked through my shop(under construction at the time) and then the dipwad ran into the Blackberry bushes he could not see in the dark.
That is a painful experience. He happily surrendered to the dog.
My point is this unless you have someone covering you, don’t wonder around your yard armed in the dark at night.
Turn on lights, and make noise. Act like a home owner.
Don’t get out of sight of your cover.
This isn’t a civil war zone yet.
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