Suspect back in prison after he was shot by police during Caldwell traffic stop
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- Suspect shot after firing at officers during September Caldwell traffic stop.
- Paz to face four felony counts and parole revocation tied to prior drug convictions.
- Idaho State Police lead outside investigation; shooting marks Caldwell’s first in 3 years.
An Idaho man who was shot by a Caldwell police officer after he allegedly fled from a traffic stop last month has been released from the hospital and is now expected to be charged with several felonies.
Alfredo Paz Jr., of Idaho Falls, was arrested on suspicion of several crimes after he allegedly fired a gun at officers while fleeing from police, Aaron Snell, an Idaho State Police spokesperson, told the Idaho Statesman.
He’s now in custody at the Idaho State Correctional Center after his parole was revoked because of “pending charges” in Canyon County related to September’s incident, Snell said by email. Paz, 49, is expected to face four felonies: eluding, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement, according to Snell.
Paz was on parole for two felony drug cases out of Canyon County.
One case stemmed from an arrest in 2015 on four felony charges, including methamphetamine trafficking, according to court records. He accepted a plea deal that sent him to prison for a minimum of five years and placed him on parole for another 10.
Paz was arrested again in May 2022 after fleeing from Nampa police officers, court records showed. Searching his vehicle, police found several bags of drugs, and he was charged with two felonies and four misdemeanors, according to court filings.
He pleaded guilty to felony possession of a controlled substance in October 2022 and was sent back to prison for at least a year, according to records. He was still on parole regarding both cases when the incident took place in September.
On top of whatever prison time Paz could receive from the pending charges — if he’s convicted — he’ll likely have to complete some, if not all, of his remaining sentences in prison for violating parole.
Paz was shot once, according to Idaho State Police
An officer attempted to pull Paz over just after 7:15 pm. Sept. 25 near the intersection of Linden Street and Indiana Avenue for a traffic violation, according to a news release from the Caldwell Police Department.
Paz didn’t stop, and officers gave chase while Paz fired a gun at them, the release said. He crashed into a shed at Birchwood Drive and Pleasant Ridge Road, and one of the officers fired back, striking Paz. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.
Paz was shot once, according to Snell. No officers were injured, and the officer who shot Paz was placed on administrative leave, which is a standard practice.
The Idaho State Police is handling the outside investigation into the shooting as part of the Canyon County Critical Incident Task Force. This was the Caldwell Police Department’s first police shooting in nearly three years, according to an internal database maintained by the Statesman.
In 2022, two officers shot and killed a 42-year-old Caldwell resident who barricaded himself inside a home with a child after police identified him as the suspect in a domestic violence investigation, according to prior reporting.
