Authorities decline request for names of those involved in fatal law enforcement incident
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UPDATE:
Hours after EastIdahoNews.com published this story Bingham County Sheriff Craig Rowland released the names of the suspects. You can read the updated story here.
ORIGINAL STORY:
BLACKFOOT — After nearly four weeks, the public is still in the dark regarding the death of a man during a manhunt in Blackfoot.
The incident occurred on Aug. 4 just before 8 a.m. and involved a hit-and-run crash. After the crash, three people exited the vehicle and ran away on foot. What exactly happened next has not been made public. But we do know that a manhunt ensued, and during the pursuit, a Bingham County detective was shot with a gun and taken to the hospital.
Investigators also discovered the body of one of the suspects at the scene of the shooting.
RELATED | One suspect in custody, another dead after shooting in Blackfoot
Several key on-the-record details are still unknown about this case:
1) The identity of the deceased man.
2) How the man was killed, or the cause of his death.
3) Whether the other two people who fled were ever charged.
4) The identity of the detective who was shot.
5) The circumstances related to the detective being shot.
So far, the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office has failed to return multiple phone calls from EastIdahoNews.com asking regarding this case. In response, EastIdahoNews.com filed a public records request for more information on the case.
That request was denied Friday.
RELATED | Deputy released from hospital as investigation into fatal shooting continues
“The information requested is part of an active investigatory record, the disclosure of which would interfere with enforcement proceedings, and/or endanger the life or physical safety of law enforcement personnel,” reads a response from Bingham County’s civil attorney, John C. Dewey.
It is not abnormal for details of shooting incidents to remain outside of the public record until the completion of an investigation. However, most cases do reveal the identities of those involved and a very basic narrative of what happened.
The only other information that has been released on the record in this case, was a news release requesting the public’s help in finding a woman wanted in connection to the incident. Cecelia “Cece” E. Broncho was one of the three people that fled the vehicle.
Police eventually found her, and she was arrested on an unrelated warrant then released from the Bingham County Jail.
RELATED | Two suspects in custody in connection to deputy shooting
Public court filings have not been found for Broncho or the other person involved in the manhunt.
The incident continues to be investigated by the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force, with the Idaho Falls Police department as the lead agency. The task force comprises detectives from multiple local law enforcement agencies.
“Once the investigation is complete, we anticipate releasing the information you have requested along with any reports related to the investigation,” Dewey wrote in the response.