Coroner identifies armed man shot and killed by Boise Police officers at campground
This story has been updated from its original version with new information.
Three Boise Police Department officers discharged their weapons early Monday at a campground, killing a man who fired his gun from inside a trailer dozens of times, according to a news release.
The man was identified Tuesday as 58-year-old Arthur Zalman Ferrel, of Kuna, by the Ada County Coroner’s Office.
Officers were first dispatched to the 100 block of Pennwood Street in Meridian at around 3:30 a.m. Monday after reports of gunshots in the area, according to Stephany Galbreaith, public information officer for the Meridian Police Department. Police were sent to a KOA campground.
Boise Police officers responded to assist Meridian officers and Ada County Sheriff’s Office deputies. A BPD release Monday night said at least one nearby trailer was struck multiple times by the subject’s gunfire.
Ferrel died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the coroner. Toxicology results are pending.
The Boise officers involved in the incident were identified Tuesday as A. Morlock, who has six years of experience; J. Green, with 12 years of experience; and S. Martinez, with 17 years of experience.
“Boise Police officers responded to assist due to the dangerous nature of the call and the large number of potential victims on scene,” according to the BPD release. “Officers arrived to find a suspect inside his trailer, firing shots toward other nearby occupied trailers. Officers surrounded the trailer, deployed an unmanned aerial vehicle, and attempted to evacuate nearby residents.”
Police say officers took up positions within the RV park,with one Boise officer positioning himself with a line of sight into the back window of the trailer.
“Officers could see the suspect reloading and shooting the gun indiscriminately,” according to police. “... The officer with a line of sight to the suspect fired one shot at the suspect.”
Additional officers with shields then moved toward the suspect, the release said, and as Boise officers approached, the suspect resumed shooting from inside the trailer.
“Officers looking in the window could see the suspect raise the gun and officers were forced to fire again,” according to the release.
Police said they tried to get into the trailer to render aid to the suspect, but the door was barricaded. After eventually getting inside, the man was brought outside so paramedics could tend to him. He died at the scene.
All of the shots fired by officers were accounted for on scene, the release said. Police did not say how many rounds were fired.
The officers involved were wearing body cameras, and that evidence is being reviewed and collected by the Ada County Critical Incident Task Force, whose investigation is being led by the Garden City Police Department.
The Boise release pointed out that information in the news release should be considered preliminary, pending the results of the task force investigation.
The Boise Office of Police Oversight also responded to the scene and will conduct an independent investigation, and BPD Internal Affairs will perform an internal investigation.
“We value the sanctity of human life, and no Boise police officer takes the use of deadly force lightly. Our condolences go out to the family of the deceased,” said Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee in the release. “All of the officers at the scene are trained to respond to people in mental health crisis and regularly are able to de-escalate situations, but due to the ongoing and obvious danger presented by the suspect, the officers involved had a moral and ethical obligation to intervene.”
This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 7:52 AM.
