Chubbuck minor charged as an adult after allegedly threatening others with gun

POCATELLO — A 17-year-old accused of threatening a man with a handgun has been charged as an adult with multiple felonies.

Dalton Ellis Wells faces three counts of aggravated assault and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon by a minor, court records show.

Pocatello police responded to reports of a noise complaint on the 1800 block of South 2nd Avenue in Pocatello just after midnight on Aug. 12, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Upon arrival, officers noted seeing “multiple juveniles and young adults” running from the direction of the reported noise complaint. One of the responding officers approached the area of the juveniles and was approached by a man who claimed one of the juveniles, Wells, had threatened him with a gun.

Officers spoke with the victim and several witnesses — two of whom were standing directly behind the victim at the time the alleged threats were made.

The victim told officers he was at a party and decided to leave. However, when he attempted to exit the home where the party was being held, another person at the party blocked the door.

The victim said he forced his way past the person blocking the door. That was when, the victim said, five or six people began threatening him.

They said they would “blast him” and “put him six feet under,” the affidavit says.

The victim said Wells, one of the people threatening him, then pulled a pistol from his waistband, racked it and pointed it at the victim’s face.

As that was going on, the victim said, police cars approached the area sending Wells and the others running.

While the victim and officers were discussing the incident, a green truck the victim said belonged to Wells, was seen speeding down South 2nd Avenue. He was eventually stopped in a nearby parking lot and was administered a field sobriety test.

After the sobriety test was completed, officers spoke with Wells’ parent, whose presence was requested by officers. The parent gave the officers permission to speak with Wells.

Wells agreed to answer questions with his parent present.

Asked about an incident involving the victim, Wells first said he did not know anything about the victim. Asked about an incident involving a gun, Wells said the victim had been in an altercation with a person who was working security at a party.

Wells told the officers he and others told the victim to leave, but said he did not know anything about a gun.

Officers responded by informing Wells that at least three people reported seeing him pull a gun on the victim. Wells said that another person, a hispanic man from Blackfoot, pulled a black firearm. Wells said the hispanic man gave him a magazine from the gun he pulled, which he then put in his back pocket — which is where officers found it while searching him prior to the field sobriety test.

During the conversation, an officer who was still talking to people near the party radioed the initial officer stating that at least two additional witnesses had reported Wells pulling a gun.

Officers placed Wells under arrest. Due to his being intoxicated and underage, Wells was taken to Portneuf Medical Center to be medically cleared before he could be booked into Bannock County Jail.

Wells was then released to the custody of his parents on Aug. 14.

Though Wells has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

If he is found guilty, Wells could face more than 15 years in prison.

He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge Aaron Thompson on Oct. 11.