Man shot by deputies following hours-long chase in the dark
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IDAHO FALLS – A man has been hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after deputies say he led them on a chase and then began shooting at them after he was run off the road.
According to a news release from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were involved in a shooting early Wednesday morning.
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Shortly after 3:30 a.m., the Madison County Sheriff’s Office was looking for a man who had allegedly been involved in a domestic incident earlier in the night and had allegedly stolen a vehicle from another home.
The man was believed to be armed, and there were indications his intent was to commit suicide by police, according to the release. It is not clear what these indications were.
Madison County deputies found information indicating the man might be in the Idaho Falls area and requested help from Bonneville County in searching for him.
Earlier — around 11 p.m. — Bonneville County deputies had encountered the man driving the stolen car with no lights on near South Ammon Road and 49th South.
They were not aware of the allegations in Madison County at the time.
As a deputy tried to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle, the man sped away, and the stop was discontinued for safety reasons, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office said.
Madison County deputies received information shortly after 5:30 a.m. that the man was seen driving near 17th Street and Ammon Road.
Deputies responding to the area noticed the car on Ammon Road, speeding north with no headlights on, almost hitting other cars, and going over the roundabout island at Ammon Road and Lincoln Road.
Deputies tried to stop him but lost sight of the car as it was weaving in and out of traffic in the dark.
According to the release, a deputy in an unmarked patrol car spotted the vehicle in Ucon moments later. The car still had no lights on and was weaving into oncoming traffic.
The deputy followed the vehicle on North Yellowstone Highway to County Line Road, where the man turned east, and more patrol cars arrived.
As the car approached 95th East, a deputy stopped it using a PIT technique, which caused the car to veer off the side of the road and into the gutter.
The man allegedly began firing rounds, and two deputies shot back. The driver was injured, and deputies provided medical assistance until ambulance personnel arrived.
The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office says no other occupants were in the vehicle, and the driver was transported by Idaho Falls Ambulance to East Idaho Regional Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. His current condition is unknown.
His identity has not been released.
No deputies were hurt during the incident.
Bonneville County Sheriff Sam Hulse requested assistance from the East Idaho Critical Incident Team to investigate. The Bingham County/Blackfoot Police Investigations team is leading the investigation with assistance from multiple area agencies.
The East Idaho Critical Incident Team is made up of detectives and resources from multiple City, County, and State Law Enforcement agencies across East Idaho, utilized to investigate critical incidents and shootings involving law enforcement.
The investigation is ongoing, and no further information is available at this time.
EastIdahoNews.com will continue to follow this story and will update when we learn more.