Court documents reveal new details about shooting and standoff

CHUBBUCK — A Chubbuck man has been charged after police say he fired a shotgun at a neighbor’s house before barricading himself in his own home.

William “Bill” Ray Elders Jr., 55, faces felony charges for aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a firearm, discharging a firearm at an inhabited dwelling and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, court documents show.

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Chubbuck police received a 911 call reporting a shooting around 4:15 p.m. on Feb. 8, according to an affidavit of probable cause. The caller told police that Elders fired a rifle — later determined to be a 12-gauge shotgun — at her front door.

The caller told police that after firing a single shot, Elders retreated into his apartment.

Upon arrival at the apartment complex on the 4700 block of Yellowstone Avenue, officers with rifles took up positions at different several points in the area, including the top of nearby buildings. Chubbuck police surrounded the building, and the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office Special Tactics And Response (STAR) Team was called in for assistance.

Chubbuck police and Idaho State Police blocked traffic in both directions of Yellowstone Avenue and cleared bystanders from the surrounding area.

As they were taking position at the nearby Chubbuck Fire Department, officers were informed that a man not matching Elders’ description had jumped out of the victim’s window and run away.

Officers made contact with family members of Elders, and Elders came out of his apartment unarmed and without further incident.

The victim, police learned, had been taken to Portneuf Medical Center for a head injury documents show was not related to the incident.

She told police that she could not recall what happened.

The victim and Elders had been drinking buddies, she told police, but Elders wanted to start a relationship, and she turned him down on several occasions. That day, she tried to speak with Elders about his intentions, but he told her to leave his apartment. So she went back to her apartment and had another friend visit her.

The victim referred to Elders as a “watcher” and told police that he would have seen another man coming to visit her. A short time later, she said, Elders began kicking her front door. She said she looked out the apartment window to confirm that it was Elders at the door.

After several kicks, the victim said Elders fired a single shot at her front door. When he left, she called 911.

Officers noted in police reports that their ability to interview the victim was limited, “due to her level of intoxication.”

Elders spoke with officers at the Chubbuck Police Department. He said he had been involved in a relationship with the victim, but that she was leaving him for someone else.

Asked if he owned any firearms, Elders told police he did not. However, he later admitted to being in possession of a gun at the time of the incident.

He further admitted to having been convicted of driving under the influence in North Carolina and 44 assault charges in Missouri.

Elders told police that he kept the shotgun behind the door in his apartment, adding that it was loaded with three slugs. He said that there was additional ammunition — both slugs and birdshot — in the apartment. Elders claimed that he kept the shotgun for bird hunting and protection from the victim’s estranged boyfriend.

Though he was open with officers about being in possession of the gun illegally, he was “evasive” about being involved in a physical altercation or using the gun to assault anyone, the affidavit says.

Elders, who earlier told police he had drank only four beers, said that he may have been blackout drunk because he did not clearly remember what happened.

Officers determined that Elders was not being entirely forthcoming and ended the interview. He was arrested and taken to Bannock County Jail for booking. He is being held on a $75,000 bond.

Though Elders has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

If he is found guilty, Elders could face up to 40 years in prison.

He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge Aaron Thompson on Feb. 22.