Nampa man shot driver for giving him the middle finger. What the judge decided
.jpg "Roland Castillo, 42, was sentenced to 10 years fixed and 10 years indeterminate for shooting a man in a road rage incident in Nampa.")
A Nampa man who shot the driver of another vehicle during a road rage incident, and was then shot by a police officer in a traffic stop, could serve as many as 20 years in prison.
Third District Judge Randall Grove sentenced Roland Castillo, 42, to five years fixed and 10 years indeterminate for aggravated battery, plus five years fixed for unlawful possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, according to a Tuesday news release from the Canyon County prosecutor. In total, Castillo will serve the first 10 years of his sentence in prison and could serve the remaining 10 in prison or on parole.
On July 13, 2022, Castillo ran a stop sign and was flipped off by another driver in Nampa, according to the news release. Prosecutors said Castillo followed and shot the man using a stolen gun, hitting him in the shoulder and hand. The man called 911 and provided a description of the vehicle and the direction it was headed, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting.
A Canyon County deputy found Castillo’s vehicle an hour later, initiating a traffic stop. The deputy shot Castillo during the encounter, and he was treated and released from a local hospital.
Nampa police said in a news release at the time that Castillo had assaulted the deputy before the deputy shot him, according to Statesman reporting. The Tuesday news release about Castillo’s sentencing said he was shot after he “aggressively exited the vehicle.”
“I want to thank the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office for their work putting Mr. Castillo behind bars and bringing justice to the victim of this senseless crime,” Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue said in the news release. “I also want to credit my deputy, who made a split-second decision and took the necessary action to stop Mr. Castillo from potentially causing more violence or damage to members of our community.”
The shooting was investigated by the Nampa Police Department, according to previous Statesman reporting, before being turned over to Canyon County prosecutors to find an outside prosecutor to review the case. The police shooting of Castillo prompted a Critical Incident Task Force investigation.
Adams County prosecutors headed the CITF investigation, didn’t press charges against the officer and cleared the officer on February 21, Canyon County spokesperson Joe Decker said in a phone call with the Statesman. Decker said the officer returned to duty.
