Local Officer’s Life Saved by Bullet-Proof Vest, Suspect Dead After Early Morning Shooting
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3rd UPDATE: KPVI News 6 reports that the man who shot an officer this morning and was then killed by police was a registered sex offender in Bonneville County.
According to the sex offender registry, 50-year-old Douglas Jay Walters was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor more than a decade ago. According to the report the incident happened back in June of 1995.
2nd UPDATE: An Idaho Falls Police Officer is in good condition after being shot in the chest while attempting to apprehend a suspect who fled from a traffic stop early Friday morning.
Joelyn Hansen stated that at approximately 1:50 a.m. Idaho State Police made a traffic stop on Douglas J. Walters of Idaho Falls at the intersection of Whittier and Yellowstone Highway.
During the stop, ISP officers determined that 50-year-old Walters, who was driving a white pick-up truck, had an outstanding misdemeanor warrant. As officers began to take him into custody, Walters fled from ISP.
ISP pursued Walters and Idaho Falls Police intercepted Walters a short time later as he approached the intersection of Holmes and 17th Street. Police followed Walters to his home, located at intersection of 17th Street and Emerson.
Walters ran from the truck and went inside the home.
IFPD Officers Malin Reynolds and Bart Whiting and Bonneville County Deputies Tony Glenn and Chad Lenz followed him into the house.
Inside the home, Walters shot Officer Reynolds point blank in the chest with a handgun. Reynolds had come from around a corner and was attempting to apprehend Walters when he was shot.
Officers returned fire killing Walters.
Officer Reynold’s bullet-proof vest stopped the bullet from penetrating. He was taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center as a precaution. Officer Whiting was also taken to EIRMC for an injury he sustained during the incident.
The Eastern Idaho Regional Critical Response Task Force is investigating the shooting.