No charges against trooper who fired seven shots at teenage girl
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POWER COUNTY — An Idaho State Police trooper has been cleared of any wrongdoing in a Power County officer-involved shooting from November 2017.
Bonneville County Prosecutor Daniel Clark was asked to review the case that involved Idaho State Trooper Travis Gurney. Gurney fired seven shots at a vehicle being driven by a teenage girl who had a female passenger with her. Their names have not been released.
Clark’s review of the incident found Gurney was justified in his actions.
“I have concluded that there is no evidence to support a criminal charge against Trooper Gurney for the discharge of his firearm at (the driver),” Clark said in his report.
On Nov. 13, 2017, around 4 p.m., Power County Dispatch received a 911 call of a stolen white Chevrolet Tahoe headed eastbound on Interstate 86 between the American Falls exits, according to Clark’s report. Minutes later law enforcement located the vehicle. It was confirmed the vehicle was stolen out of Burley.
The vehicle pulled over to the side of the road when approached by patrol cars with lights activated. However, when law enforcement attempted to approach the vehicle, the driver drove away. Law enforcement gave chase, reaching speeds upwards of 112 miles per hour until the vehicle exited the interstate.
When the vehicle exited, it maintained speeds of up to 100 miles per hour on East County Road. Gurney attempted to set up spike strips at the intersection of East County Road and US 30.
Police dash camera video showed the vehicle swerved to avoid the spike strips and drove directly towards Gurney, according to Clark’s report. As Gurney moved out of the way of the vehicle, he fired his weapon seven times toward the driver. Nobody was hit by the gunfire.
The vehicle continued to drive into Pocatello city limits and finally crashed into the back of another vehicle at the intersection of Poleline Road and Yellowstone Avenue.
The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office and the Pocatello Police Department apprehended the two females. No one involved received any major injuries.
“The facts in this case reveal that (the driver), through her unlawful acts, made herself a clear and immediate danger to law enforcement officers who were engaged in the lawful performance of their duties, as well as a danger to the public at large,” Clark said in the report.