Prosecutor will not refile charges against Boise police officer accused of rape
Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs said Friday that he will not refile charges against a Boise Police Department officer who was accused of rape.
Eric Simunich, 43, was arrested in October after Ada County prosecutors charged him on suspicion of rape, following a complaint made by a woman he was reportedly on a date with.
The Ada County Prosecutor’s Office filed a conflict of interest motion on Oct. 21, requesting that Loebs be appointed to the case.
Loebs then dismissed the case without prejudice. On Friday, Loebs said that after further investigation, the evidence in the case was “not sufficient to prove that a crime occurred.”
Per Boise Police Department policy, the officer of nearly 20 years was suspended from duty after his arrest while the investigation continued.
As of Friday, Simunich was still on leave because BPD said it needed to conduct its own review.
“Now that Ada County’s criminal investigation is complete, BPD has put in a formal request for the report so that we can conduct an internal investigation,” said Haley Williams, a BPD spokeswoman. “Eric Simunich has been on paid leave and will remain so until the conclusion of the internal investigation.”
The Idaho Statesman requested copies of the Ada County Sheriff’s Office investigation on Friday but did not receive an immediate response.
This story was originally published February 14, 2020 at 9:57 AM.
