New details released after officer-involved shooting at Econo Lodge
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IDAHO FALLS — Police have released new details about an officer-involved shooting Monday at a hotel in Idaho Falls.
According to a news release by the Idaho Falls Police Department, officers were called to the Econo Lodge on Broadway Avenue around 1:15 p.m. to help hotel staff evict a tenant who had stayed past checkout and refused to leave.
When the staff called dispatch, officers were “unavailable due to other higher-priority calls for service at the time.”
When officers arrived around 3 p.m., the staff said a woman and a man were staying in the room. According to the release, the man is known to police, but they can only release his name once the initial investigation is complete.
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Because of their previous knowledge and experience with the man, officers reportedly “took extra precautions, including bringing a ballistic shield to the room and responding with multiple officers.”
Officers knocked on the door, announced who they were, and called both tenants by name. Officers said they had no warrants and were not under arrest but needed to leave the hotel.
Police then opened the door with a key card provided by hotel staff and kicked it to break the chain lock. Officers tried again to communicate with the two people, but there was no response.
According to the release, the bathroom door was shut, making officers believe the two were in the bathroom. An Idaho Falls Police K9 handler yelled warnings that if the people did not come out, a K9 would be sent in, and they would get bit.
At that point, a gunshot was reportedly fired from inside the bathroom.
“Three Idaho Falls Police officers were trapped inside the hotel room, unable to get safely past the bathroom and into the hallway,” according to the release.
One of the three officers inside the room had a ballistic shield, and all three officers attempted to get behind it. While doing this, the man reached out of the bathroom door with a gun in his hands and fired at the officers.
No officers were shot, but according to IFPD spokeswoman Jessica Clements, one officer involved was injured, but not by the suspect.
After the first shot was fired from the bathroom while officers were running for cover, in the confusion our K9 bit one of our officers,” says Clements. “His injury is not life threatening, but has required medical treatment.”
One of the three officers fired his gun back at the man, and a second officer in the hallway also fired. The officers inside the room reportedly believed the man had been hit but “could hear him moving and making other noises.”
Officers called out to the man but received no response. Hotel guests were then evacuated, and the Idaho Falls Police Department SWAT team was activated, with assistance from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.
The three officers were evacuated through the hotel room window.
In an attempt to see the man, the SWAT team “utilized a variety of methods to attempt to get a safe visual inside the hotel room and to communicate with the man,” according to the release. “Visuals showed that the man was still moving but attempts to communicate with him went unanswered.”
Eventually, the SWAT team used a flashbang grenade, entered the room, and took the man into custody. A handgun was reportedly found in the bathroom.
Police say the man sustained gunshot wounds during the incident, and Idaho Falls Fire EMS began providing care for him once it was safe to do so. The man was transported to a local hospital.
According to police, “At this time, the man is alive and continuing to receive medical care. He is in the custody of the Idaho Falls Police Department and facing criminal charges related to this incident.”
The woman originally believed to be present was not on the scene and appears to have left sometime before police arrived.
After the suspect was detained, the scene was secured and turned over to the East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force. The task force exists to conduct external investigations of critical incidents involving police officers.
The Idaho State Police are serving as the lead investigative agency with assistance from other east Idaho law enforcement agencies.
The results of their investigation will be provided to the prosecutor’s office, who will determine whether the officers were justified in discharging their service weapons during this incident.
Five of the six officers on scene, including the two who discharged their guns, had their body cameras activated and recording during the incident. One officer’s camera battery had died shortly before arriving on scene, but their actions were captured on activated cameras.
This body camera footage has been provided to the task force and will be released to the public as the investigation proceeds.
As is standard policy, the two Idaho Falls Police officers who discharged their service weapons have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation proceeds. The officer’s names are expected to be released after they have been interviewed by the task force and other necessary interviews have been completed. The name of the suspect is expected to be released at the same time.
Additional information is expected to be provided to the public as the investigation proceeds.