Boise area has seen 11 police shootings in 2024. Here’s what we know, where cases stand
In the past eleven months, law enforcement agencies have been involved in 11 shootings in the Treasure Valley, including one shooting by officers from the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs in Owyhee County.
The majority of the shootings — six of which were fatal — involved deputies from the Ada County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Boise Police Department. This included the accidental shooting of an Idaho Department of Correction corporal during a prisoner’s escape at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in a March ambush.
One shooting involved the Kuna Police Department, which contracts with the Ada County Sheriff’s Office for its law enforcement services.
In addition to citizen deaths, Ada County Deputy Tobin Bolter was shot and killed during a traffic stop in April, becoming the first in the line of duty death in the agency’s history. Also recently, one of the Nampa Police Department’s K-9s, named Riddick, died in a car crash while officers were attempting to arrest a man suspected of selling drugs.
Out of the 11 police shootings in 2023, all of the investigations have been finalized, with all of the involved officers and deputies being cleared by outside prosecutors of any wrongdoing.
Whenever a law enforcement agency in the Treasure Valley is involved in a police shooting it triggers a Critical Incident Task Force investigation. Both Ada County and Canyon County have their own task forces, which are made up of neighboring agencies that take turns investigating another department’s shooting. The Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police and the Boise, Meridian and Garden City police departments handle any police shootings or other critical incidents in Ada County.
Once the outside law enforcement investigation is completed, that agency sends its report to the county’s prosecutor’s office, which generally sends the report and other materials, like body-camera footage, to another prosecutor to avoid any conflict of interest. That out-of-town prosecutor will then decide whether the officer or officers were justified in their actions.
Until an investigation is finalized, which can take months if not longer, many of the details surrounding a shooting aren’t publicized — including the release of body-cam footage. It’s become commonplace in larger cities, including neighboring departments like Salt Lake, to release body-cam footage from police shootings within weeks if not days of the incident.
Here’s what we know about the shootings. This map shows the locations of all 11 shootings that have occurred in 2024, along with shootings from last year. Those in 2023 are indicated by a red symbol and those in 2024 by blue.
Boise police, Ada sheriff’s deputies shot man after he stabbed dogs
In late January, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office said that one of its deputies saw a man at around 12:30 a.m. with a tarp over himself “looking over fences into the backyards of homes” on South Maverick Way, near a neighborhood of homes east of the Boise Airport.
The Sheriff’s Office alleged that the man, later identified as 37-year-old Jeremiah Gaver, refused to identify himself or “explain what he was doing,” according to a news release. As additional deputies and officers from the Boise Police Department arrived, they threatened to use less-lethal use of force options to detain him.
By 1 a.m. an unidentified sheriff’s deputy fired a bean bag round and sent a K-9 dog after him, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Gaver allegedly stabbed the dog and ran toward an open field and then a nearby gas station, where deputies and officers continued to try to subdue him using tasers.
Boise police then sent one of their own K-9s after Gaver, who stabbed the dog and then turned toward the officers, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Then four deputies, who haven’t been identified, and Boise Police Officer Camron Johnson shot at Gaver.
The Sheriff’s Office doesn’t identify officers until the outside investigation is completed. None of the officers were injured and both dogs survived the stabbings.
Gaver died hours later at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center from “multiple gunshot wounds,” according to the Ada County Coroner’s Office. Anna Carstensen, Gaver’s sister, said during a March protest in front of Boise City Hall that the body-camera footage should be released and called the shooting a “one-sided tale.”
“Jeremiah was not a bad man, and he was not a criminal,” Carstensen said, adding that her brother had a mental disability. Gaver’s family has since filed a tort claim against the Boise Police Department and Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
The Owyhee County Prosecutor’s Office began reviewing the shooting in late May after the Meridian Police Department conducted its investigation, a city spokesperson confirmed.
Man shoots himself after Ada County deputy shot him
At around 2 a.m. Feb. 11, a resident who lived off of Seneca Street called 911 after hearing gunshots outside. When the resident went outside he saw a man, later identified as 23-year-old Dominic Soto, near the Tenmile Feeder Canal, who shot at him, according to the Boise Police Department’s investigative reports on the shooting. The resident wasn’t injured.
When deputies located Soto near the intersection of West Blackhawk Drive and South Five Mile Road, he was holding a gun to his head, according to investigative reports. Soto initially refused to drop the gun but then began to “sway” and then dropped his elbow causing Ada County Deputy Colton McKone to believe “he was going to be shot,” according to McKone’s interview with the outside investigators.
McKone fired his gun three times at Soto, striking him twice, according to the reports. Soto then “immediately” shot himself in the head, which caused his death, according to a letter from the Gem County Prosecutor’s Office clearing McKone of any wrongdoing. Soto previously dealt with mental health issues in 2021 and was placed on a mental hold.
Prosecutor Erick Thomson added in the letter that since Soto had already shot at a civilian, McKone “rightly felt” that the nearby residents and officers were in danger when Soto refused to drop the gun and swayed pointing the gun in McKone’s direction.
Federal officers shot and killed man in Owyhee County after pursuit
Officers with the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs pursued a vehicle from the Duck Valley Reservation in Nevada into Riddle, Idaho, on March 2. The BIA is responsible for enforcing tribal laws and making arrests on Native American land. The officers were pursuing 39-year-old Cody Whiterock, of Owyhee County, according to Idaho State Police.
Court records show Whiterock had a warrant out for his arrest for a December incident in which he was charged with a felony for fleeing law enforcement, and a misdemeanor for resisting or obstructing officers. It’s unclear if that’s why the officers were pursuing Whiterock.
Once in Idaho, Whiterock ran from his car and officers shot at Whiterock. He was hit and pronounced dead later that day, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting.
Idaho State Police, the agency investigating the shooting, previously declined to answer a list of questions, including the officers’ identities, and told the Statesman that any IDs would be made by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Bureau of Indian Affairs hasn’t responded to several emails requesting additional information about the shooting.
Idaho State Police spokesperson Aaron Snell told the Statesman by email Friday that they’ve completed their investigation into Whiterock’s shooting and forwarded it to the Owyhee County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
Boise police officer mistakenly shot, injured IDOC corporal
Amid an ambush at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical earlier this year — that led to the escape of an Idaho prisoner and left several correctional officers injured — a Boise officer also mistakenly shot one of the IDOC officers.
When Boise Police Officer Wayne Anderson responded to what he believed was an active shooter at the hospital, he saw an individual holding a gun near the entryway and fired his weapon, striking the man. The person holding the gun was later identified as IDOC Cpl. Christopher Wilske.
Wilske was one of three correctional officers injured during a prison escape at the Boise hospital. Skylar Meade, an Idaho man serving a minimum 10-year prison sentence, fled from custody after Nicholas Umphenour, his co-conspirator, planned an ambush on the officers. Meade and Umphenour were found in the Twin Falls area, arrested and charged in March with several felonies.
The other two officers, Daniel Lopez and Elijah Jackson, were shot and injured by Umphenour, authorities said. All three officers survived, though IDOC hasn’t disclosed whether they are all back at work.
Wilske has since filed a $500,000 tort claim against the Boise Police Department for the physical damages he incurred during the shooting. The gunfire from either the bullet or shrapnel damaged Wilske’s eye, according to prior reporting.
IDOC Director Josh Tewalt previously said it was “heartbreaking” to see how much Anderson blamed himself.
“I want to say it again, and I’ll say it as many times as I have to: There’s not a person who was involved in the events that morning — including our staff member who ultimately was wounded — who has nothing but appreciation for BPD showing up when and how they did,” Tewalt said.
Anderson was cleared of any wrongdoing after Valley County Prosecutor Brian Naugle reviewed the investigation and determined the shooting was “justified under the law,” Haley Williams, a spokesperson for the Boise Police Department, said in an email.
Typically once an investigation is finalized the Boise Police Department will release an extensive report by the investigating agency on the details of the shooting and some of the body-camera footage from the shooting. But, because of Meade and Umphenour’s ongoing criminal case, Williams said the report and footage won’t be released until everything is finalized — which could take months if not years.
Both of the men’s cases in Ada County have concluded but they face charges in North Idaho for the first-degree murder of 83-year-old James Mauney. They could also face charges for the killing of another man: 72-year-old Don Henderson.
Suspect in fatal shooting of Ada County Sheriff’s deputy shot by police
In April, Boise Police Officer Joshua Sontag shot and killed the 65-year-old suspect in the fatal shooting of Ada County Sheriff Deputy Tobin Bolter after the suspect fired at officers.
Bolter had stopped Dennis Mulqueen’s vehicle at around 9 p.m. April 20 near the area of Overland Road and South Raymond Street when Mulqueen shot the deputy as he approached the driver’s side window, according to the Sheriff’s Office. It’s still unclear why Bolter conducted the traffic stop but Mulqueen did have a $3,000 warrant out for his arrest stemming from a 2023 DUI, according to court records. The warrant was issued after Mulqueen missed a hearing.
Law enforcement launched a manhunt and located Mulqueen outside a home on South Jackson Street at around midnight. Members of the Boise Police Department’s Special Operations Unit tried to take Mulqueen into custody safely but fired at him after he shot at officers, according to previous Statesman reporting.
Mulqueen was given medical aid and taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he died from a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the Ada County Coroner’s Office. No other officers were injured.
The Garden City Police Department is leading the investigation into Mulqueen’s shooting.
Kuna officers shoot and injure man on I-84 following several pursuits
In August, following multiple pursuits, officers from the Kuna Police Department shot and injured 24-year-old Jeremiah Bainbridge on Interstate 84 after receiving a report about a potential domestic dispute.
At around 6 p.m. Aug. 1, Meridian police responded to the intersection of South Eagle and East Overland roads. Bainbridge and his girlfriend had gotten into an argument in her car, the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office said, and when she wanted to leave, Bainbridge ripped the keys out of pocket and drove away in her vehicle, according to prior reporting.
Officers then pursued Bainbridge before losing sight of the vehicle in Kuna. Officers from the Kuna Police Department spotted Bainbridge roughly 15 minutes later and pursued him north on Meridian Road toward I-84, according to the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the Kuna Police Department under a contract with the city.
A sheriff’s deputy tried to lay spike strips on Meridian Road near Columbia Road, but authorities said Bainbridge drove toward the deputy, who was standing outside of his vehicle. The deputy moved to avoid being hit and was not injured.
Bainbridge then drove onto the westbound ramps of I-84, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office said, causing a Kuna officer to use a pursuit-intervention technique, known as a PIT maneuver, to stop the vehicle in the median of the interstate. Bainbridge exited the vehicle with a gun in his hand.
The Sheriff’s Office said that officers issued “verbal commands” to Bainbridge before three Kuna police officers shot at him. It’s unclear how many of the bullets struck him but he was hospitalized for several weeks following the shooting.
Bainbridge was arraigned in early September on four felonies: robbery, grand theft, attempting to elude an officer in a motor vehicle and domestic battery with a traumatic injury. Bainbridge is currently in custody at the Ada County Jail on a $1 million bond, according to court and jail records.
The Boise Police Department is leading the outside investigation of Bainbridge’s shooting.
Suspect in Boise robberies shot by police, now facing several felonies
Two officers from the Boise Police Department shot and injured 40-year-old Adam Cook — a suspect in several armed robberies — after he fled from police and jumped into the backyard of a West Boise home.
At around 9:30 p.m. Sept. 24, officers responded to the adult store Adam & Eve off of Fairview Avenue after Cook allegedly pointed a gun at the store’s clerks and demanded money, according to police and court documents.
That evening police attempted to pull Cook over but after briefly stopping him, he fled, according to a Boise police news release. Officers quickly located his vehicle and then saw him jump into the backyard of a home on North Redway Road, police said.
When police attempted to arrest Cook, two officers shot at him, but it’s unclear exactly why they fired. Police previously declined to answer the Statesman’s questions. He was injured and officers used a K-9 and other “less lethal options” to take him into custody, according to the news release.
The involved officers were identified as Cpl. Luis Gutierrez, an 18-year veteran of the police department, and Officer John Jayne, who joined the department six years ago.
The Meridian Police Department is leading the Critical Incident Task Force investigation into Cook’s shooting.
Cook was hospitalized following the shooting and he’s now in custody at the Ada County Jail on a $1 million bond. Cook’s facing four felonies after being accused in three robberies, and an enhancement for the use of a deadly weapon.
On Sept. 15, Cook robbed a Jersey Mike’s Subs off of West Fairview Avenue and stole an employee’s vehicle, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office. Less than a week later, on Sept. 21, Cook robbed a Subway off of West Overland Road, the complaint said.
Cook’s next hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Nov. 7 at the Ada County Courthouse, court records showed.
Deputies fatally shoot man suspected of sex crimes at Boise sports complex
Deputies from the Ada County Sheriff’s Office shot and killed a potentially suicidal man at the Optimist Youth Sports Complex along West Hill Road in mid-October after authorities said he “did not comply with commands” and “produced” a handgun, according to a news release.
The man, later identified as Lucas Alleman, 43, was a suspect in a felony sex crimes case and the deputies were attempting to locate him when the shooting occurred, according to the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
The Oct. 15 incident wasn’t related to any events, practices or games at the sports complex, which houses various athletic fields, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Two deputies, who haven’t been identified, shot at Alleman. The Sheriff’s Office doesn’t identify officers until the outside investigation is completed.
Alleman, of Star, died at the scene from the gunshot wounds after deputies attempted life-saving measures, the Sheriff’s Office said. He was shot in the neck and torso, according to the Ada County Coroner’s Office.
No one had filed any formal criminal charges against Alleman but the Sheriff’s Office said he was a suspect in a sex-crimes case. The details of the case are unknown and a review of Alleman’s court records by the Statesman didn’t locate any prior criminal charges in Idaho.
The Boise Police Department is leading the outside investigation of the shooting.
Officer killed suspect following ‘hostage situation’ in West Boise
Boise Police Officer Brady Strodtbeck, who joined the department in 2020, shot and killed a man outside a West Boise home after law enforcement alleged he held another man hostage in November.
Just after 2:30 p.m. Nov. 10, officers from the Boise Police Department responded to a “hostage situation” in a home in the 1300 block of North Liberty Street after a third party reported “concerning behavior” to law enforcement, according to a news release from the agency. The suspect, who had a knife, was threatening another man in the home, police said.
When officers arrived at the scene, they attempted to make contact with the suspect and called in the department’s crisis negotiation team and special operations unit, according to the release. By 5:05 p.m. the victim was able to “safely” exit the home, police said.
The suspect “also emerged armed with a knife” when officers went to assist the victim, according to police, prompting one officer to shoot the suspect. Officers immediately provided medical assistance to the man, and he was taken to a local hospital where he died, police said.
The Ada County Coroner’s Office identified him as 47-year-old Guadalupe Reyes. The Boise resident’s cause of death was listed as “multiple gunshot wounds,” and his death was classified as a homicide.
The victim suffered “minor injuries” and was treated at the scene, according to the news release. No officers were injured.
The Ada County Sheriff’s Office is handling the outside investigation.
Officer injures man who fled traffic stop, police say
At around 3 p.m. on Nov. 13, a Boise police officer stopped a vehicle near South Division Avenue and West Howe Street in southeast Boise, according to the Police Department. The male passenger, later identified as 22-year-old Gabriel Pope, provided “false information” to the officers, pulled out a knife and fled into a nearby neighborhood, according to a news release.
Once police found Pope on Colorado Avenue, a few blocks from South Broadway Avenue, he refused to get on the ground and charged at an officer with the knife, according to the agency. Boise police identified the shooting officer as Cpl. Steven Martinez.
Pope was taken to a local hospital, and once he’s released, police said they plan to arrest him on suspicion of four charges: assault or battery upon certain personnel, resisting or obstructing officers, providing false information to law enforcement and an enhancement for using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.
The Garden City Police Department is handling the outside investigation. No officers were injured.
Nampa police shoot man after domestic disturbance
Officers from the Nampa Police Department responded to a call early Nov. 14 after receiving a report that a man wielding a knife was involved in a domestic disturbance at a home in southeast Nampa, according to the department. When police arrived, the suspect went back into the home where several other people were inside, prompting an officer to shoot and injure the man, the department said in a news release.
The suspect, who hasn’t been identified, was taken to a local hospital with a non-life-threatening injury, police said. Some of the people inside the home were injured before police arrived, but nobody else was hurt during the shooting.
None of the victims’ injures “are believed to be life-threatening,” police said.
This was the first police shooting involving a Canyon County agency this year, with nine of this year’s shootings occurring in Ada County. Idaho State Police is leading the outside investigation.
When the Statesman reached out to the Nampa Police Department for additional information on the shooting, including the officer’s name, spokesperson Carmen Boeger directed the newspaper to Idaho State Police. ISP had no updates as of Nov. 18, spokesperson Aaron Snell said.
This story was originally published November 1, 2024 at 12:40 PM.
