A Idaho police officer fatally shot a man in his own backyard Monday while searching a neighborhood for a suspect who is believed to be armed, officials said.
The incident began when a deputy sheriff of a sheriff in Bonneville County pulled over a vehicle in Idaho Falls for a routine traffic stop Monday shortly after midnight, according to a statement from Idaho Falls police. While the passenger remained in the car, the suspect started running, authorities said.
Idaho Falls police officers and deputy sheriffs in Bonneville County were called to the scene and began searching for the suspect, who was wearing a black shirt and was heading toward a neighborhood, police said.
A resident told an officer that they saw the suspect running through their yard, and the resident believes the suspect was armed with a gun. The police gave this information to all officers.
During the search, police learned the suspect had several warrants for his arrest, including two failing to appear warrants with original charges of resisting / obstructing arrest. The others were related to the charges of criminal batteries against an officer and the provision of false information to law enforcement, authorities said.
At one point, the passenger who was staying in the car received an SMS from the suspect and shared his GPS location with the police. According to police, the suspect showed up in a backyard in the area where officers searched.
“Officers and delegates surrounded the residence and the backyard to prevent the suspect from fleeing,” the statement said. “Because of the information that the suspect may have been armed, and a previous history of violence during interaction with police officers, law enforcement personnel entered the location with their service weapons.”
Officers said they heard screams and saw a man in a black shirt. He was armed with a rifle, and officers reportedly told the man to drop the weapon.
“We do not currently have the answers as to what exactly happened during these moments,” said Bryce Johnson, Idaho Falls Police Chief. ‘We do know that an Idaho Falls police officer fired his service weapon during this interaction, firing one shot at the man. ‘
“Officers made life-saving efforts, but it was unsuccessful. Emergency medical personnel from the Idaho Falls Fire Department also responded and were unable to assist the life-saving person,” Johnson said.
The statement continued: “Eventually officers and delegates determined that the man who was shot was not the suspect, but was actually the resident of the address.”
According to police, the real suspect was eventually hidden in a barn in another backyard and arrested. The sheriff’s office in Bonneville County, the agency that conducted the arrest, did not immediately respond to a question as to whether he was armed.
“There are no words to express how heavy our hearts are today,” Johnson said. ‘This situation is devastatingly tragic for the family, for the officer and those who love them. We all feel the weight of what happened today. Our deepest sympathy is with the family and friends of those involved, especially the family of the deceased. ”
Police did not identify anyone involved in the incident, but told NBC News the suspect and the victim are white and the officer who fired his weapon is Latino.
Body camera footage of the incident was not released.
The officer has been placed on administrative leave while an independent investigation is conducted by the Eastern Idaho Critical Incidents Task Force. The findings will be communicated to the prosecutor in Bonneville County once the investigation is completed.
The Idaho Falls Police Department will conduct its own investigation to determine if proper protocols have been followed.
