Man arrested after chase and shooting involving officer
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BLACKFOOT — A man is in custody after an officer-involved shooting in Bingham County Thursday night.
The shooting happened during an incident with 26-year-old Tymber Pongah of Fort Hall, Bingham County Sheriff Craig Rowland said in a news release. It began around 8 p.m. as a Bingham County deputy patrolling Highway 91 stopped a white car with no license plates.
While talking with a woman driving the car, a Fort Hall Police officer showed up and talked to Pongah.
The woman was asked to step out of the car and Pongah reportedly moved into the driver’s steat. As law enforcement tried to stop Pongah from driving away, he dragged the deputy and officer down the road.
A pursuit followed and officers used spike strips twice to try and stop Pongah.
The car eventually stopped and deputies boxed Pongah in. Pongah then tried to ram patrol vehicles with the car, according to Rowland. A deputy got out of his car and started moving toward Pongah.
“At that time, Pongah pointed his vehicle at the walking deputy and drove at him,” Rowland said in the release. “The deputy was in fear for his life and drew his weapon and fired once at the attacking vehicle and struck Pongah.”
Pongah stopped after being shot and an ambulance took him to Portneuf with non-life-threatening injuries.
Around 3 a.m., Pongah was released from the hospital and taken to the Bingham County Jail.
He is being charged with aggravated battery upon law enforcement, fleeing and eluding, resisting and obstructing, and injury to a child, according to Rowland.
This is the latest shooting involving law enforcement in eastern Idaho within the past few weeks.
An Idaho Falls father of four died on Feb. 8 after police shot him in his backyard while they searched for a suspect who ran from a traffic stop.
On Feb. 13, a man was killed in a shootout with U.S. Marshals in Pocatello who were searching for Richard “Rocky” Iverson, an armed and dangerous fugitive wanted for lewd conduct with a minor. Iverson was later taken into custody.
On Sunday, a man was killed in Bingham County after a stand-off with deputies that lasted hours. He was squatting in the home and told deputies they would go home in a body bag if they tried to come inside.
Then Monday, a Rexburg man died after being shot by officers at an apartment for the Elderly and Disabled. Rexburg Police said they were called out for an “unwanted person,” but other details have yet to be shared.
Eastern Idaho has also seen a surge in shootings not involving law enforcement.
A man in Bonneville County was shot and was last reported being on life-support with an unsurvivable injury Tuesday evening. Deputies say the victim and another man were in an altercation on Yellowstone Highway when the shooting occurred.
Another shooting happened in Blackfoot Tuesday evening, sending a local man to the hospital. Police have asked for information and say they are searching for at least one suspect.
There have also been a handful of other shootings not included in this report.
EastIdahoNews.com will continue to provide updates as they become available.